HomeMy Public PortalAbout20120425 - Agenda Packet - Board of Directors (BOD) - 12-12 Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District Strategic Plan 2011
Goals Implementation Outputs Outcome`
Strategies Activities Short Medium on
#1A: Lead partners Hire a consultant Enhanced
in regional collaboration
conservation Research existing between partners
approach studies
Goal#1: #1 B: Determine Research other
Enhance Integrated Partners' District and/or
Regional District's regional role successes approach to activities are partners
Collaboration conservation on based on Vision acquire land for
Organize meetings the peninsula Plan conservation
#1C: Define land, with partners
resource Regional
management,and Develop Regional
public access goals Open Space Vision Conservation
Plan Vision
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#2A: Public Consider an Community Public more Enhanced 0
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involvement in setting Advisory Committee leaders& involved with D a z
► management --
vision&goals advocates for District activities activities ° �
Increase public --► District emerge J N
Goal#2: engagement
Build Public #2B: Increased
-- District interaction Public supports 3 a
Support Public supports
with constituents Get support of —i funding
opinion leaders Regional measure
11 � 6
�. Conservation �
#2C: Promote Conduct community Vision
Community-based workshops&polls Enhanced
leadership public access
Voters approve and trail
Funding connections
#3A: Evaluate Identify resources Funding campaign Measure
pursuing a funding and timeline for
measure funding campaign Sustainable plan Increased
to diversify grants and 4 Staff hired;
1 Goal#3: #313: Evaluate Explore other revenues other revenues � organizational
alternative financial
Enhance potential revenues --- capacity
Financial and models Alternative Financial& enhanced
Staffing Re-evaluate
Resources business model Staffing Plans business model
#3C: Increase optimized to
philanthropy,grants, Develop alternative achieve ,
Alternative balanced
and other revenues financial models financial models
mission
9/8/2011 8:57 AM
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Open Space Vision Implementation Plan Discussion Guide
Purpose:
The District's Strategic Plan calls for the development of an Open Space Vision Implementation Plan
(Vision Plan)to establish a vision for delivery of the District's mission, including future conservation,
public recreation resource stewardship,and working lands within District boundaries. The Vision Plan
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will serve as a tool to guide future priorities on acquisition, public use,and land management so as to
achieve the largest, most beneficial impact given available funding and staffing resources.
Expectations:
The Vision Plan will be a tool for the District and local conservation partners to inform conservation
choices and investments at a regional level. As such,this Vision Plan will promote inter-organizational
coordination and leverage private and public funds to accelerate the pace of and maximize the impact
on land conservation, resource stewardship, and recreational access. The Vision Plan will be developed
to allow ease of continuous updates as new information is collected and conditions or needs change to
keep the Plan relevant over time.
The Vision Plan,with its goals and priorities,will help rally support for future funding opportunities by
describing conservation, stewardship, and public access priorities that are consistent with the District's
mission, meet long-term District needs and goals,and are considered of great value to our partners,
stakeholders and local communities. The Vision Plan will supersede and replace the District's 1998
Regional Open Space Study and 1992 Master Plan.
General Approach:
The Vision Plan will employ a strategic approach to conservation and stewardship, utilizing the best
available scientific data to analyze existing conditions, including natural and cultural resources,wildlife
corridors,trails and public access facilities, important vista points and viewsheds,agricultural uses and
im acts and population
prime agricultural land, and demographics. Data on future climate change p p p
growth will also be analyzed. This assemblage of information will help highlight opportunities,
constraints, and trends to guide Vision Plan development and inform ongoing decision making. This Plan
development process will be directed by the District with much of the day-to-day work administered by
a Consultant Team composed of a Project Coordinator and Technical Experts, and will incorporate
feedback from and participation by our major partners,stakeholder groups,and the larger community.
The Vision Plan will cover the following key elements, all of which are of major interest to the District,
and identify the goals, strategies, and actions to best achieve the desired impacts for each element:
• Resource Stewardship
• Biodiversity and Landscape connectivity
• Watershed integrity
• Cultural resources
• Recreation and Health
• Working Lands
• Viewsheds
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Each Vision Plan element would build upon similar, prior work of other organizations—for example,the
Biodiversit and Landscape Connectivity elements would refine the analysis completed b the Upland
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Habitat Goals Project and Bay Area Critical Linkages Project as a starting place to identify the resource
stewardship priorities for the Vision Plan study area. Likewise,the Recreation and Health element
would incorporate regional trail planning efforts such as San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties Trail Plans,
and the Trail Plans for the Bay Area Ridge Trail and Bay Trail,as a starting place to explore public access
priorities.
Scope of Work
The following outlines the scope of work proposed for the Vision Plan (see also attached Vision Plan
Process flowchart). Each step of this process will require oversight and confirmation from the District
and may need to be adjusted based on District needs:
• Initiate the Vision Plan project; confirm the participants and roles of each; seek outside funding,
if possible; confirm the project study area boundaries;confirm consultant and expert assistance
needed; refine the project scope and process;and follow District procurement process to
contract with consultant experts.
• Working with the selected consultants:
o Form a small community advisory committee comprised of representatives from the
j District, partner organizations, resource agencies, landowners,community leaders,and
1
groups representing diverse populations to advise the Vision Plan development and to
solicit early input.
o Develop and implement a Public Communications,Outreach and Engagement Plan that
meaningfully and effectively involves partner agencies in the Vision Plan preparation, as
well as informs and engages stakeholders and solicits public input. This Plan should
include methods for soliciting input on what the public and our partner agencies value
most about open space, and consider the use of online engagement tools,field trips,
polling,workshops, and focus group meetings.Also included should be methods to
maintain a repository of all comments received,and preparation and maintenance of a
Frequently Asked Questions/Answers factsheet for posting online and at public
meetings.
o Keep staff informed of progress and critical milestones throughout the planning process,
invite staff to participate in meaningful ways, and develop messages and talking points
to assist staff as they interface with the public.
o Collect relevant land use,conservation, public access and resource information, identify
data gaps; and collect new data, if needed,to fill critical gaps. Utilize existing
information sources as much as possible.
o Analyze information to identify open space opportunities and constraints; develop an
updated understanding of threats to open space values; determine where and how
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natural resources,wildlife habitat, and working lands may be vulnerable to
development growth and habitat fragmentation.
o Foster relationships with and involve local cities,towns, and counties as part of the
visioning process.
o Hold 2-4 public workshops with the District Board of Directors at key decision-making
points throughout Vision Plan development. Use feedback from workshops and other
sources to develop Vision Plan goals and selection criteria for each Vision Plan element.
o Identify specific priority sites that maximize the net beneficial impacts to conservation,
stewardship, public access,and working lands;
o Identify groupings or sub-regions based on geography and political boundaries to reflect
the different interests and specific priorities across the region. Target the most critical
and immediately needed actions and projects within each sub-region; consider pilot
projects that not only meet selection criteria, but accomplish multiple goals and have
the farthest reaching benefits for people and nature; evaluate implementation costs.
o Prepare the Draft and Final Vision Plan document that includes an implementation plan
with a prioritized list of actions and projects, schedules, and costs.
o Hold 2-3 public hearings with the District Board of Directors to consider tentative
(initial) and final approval of the Vision Plan.
Project Study Area:
The project study area shall encompass the District's entire jurisdictional area plus our Sphere of
Influence. Certain types of analysis,such as that performed for landscape connectivity or watersheds,
may need to look beyond the study area and into surrounding, adjacent lands.
Board Involvement
The Open Space Vision Plan is a top priority for the District's Board of Directors,all of whom have
expressed a keen desire to stay fully informed and engaged throughout Plan development. Involving the
Board at key decision-making points and frequently informing them of the work progress are essential
to project success. The Board will be invited to attend any and all Advisory Committee meetings,which
will be noticed per the Brown Act,to listen in on the discussions and to provide any individual feedback.
Community Advisory Committee
The Community Advisory Committee (CAC)would meet approximately four times as part of the vision
planning process to provide early feedback on work progress,findings, and next steps. The CAC would
also help provide a sense of how the larger public may respond to the project as new information is
developed prior to its unveiling. Meetings would be made public and follow noticing requirements per
the Brown Act to provide Board members and the public the option to attend. Board members who
attend the optional CAC meetings will be able to receive early input about the vision planning process
prior to hosting public Board workshops and hearings. To achieve meaningful and relevant input,the
CAC would first be informed about the District, its mission, history,and policies and a set of guiding
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principles and team agreements established. Field trips would be scheduled as needed to bring
participants out on the preserves.
Vision Plan Project Management Organization
The flowchart below outlines the proposed Vision Plan project organization and reporting structure.
District
Board of
Directors
Executive
Committee
Community District Project Funding Measure
Advisory Management Team
Committee Team (Consultant)
Project
Coordinator
(Consultant)
00
Vision Plan Public Outreach
Technical Team Team
(Consultant) (Consultant)
*Executive Committee:Steve Abbors,Project Mgt Team, Pat aBrien,others TBD
*District Project Mana_Zement Team:Kirk Lenington,Sandy Sommer,Ana Ruiz(Project Lead—Vision Plan),Rudy
Jurgensen(Project Lead—Funding Measure)
*Proiect Coordinator. Consultant position responsible for coordinating activities of consultant teams,information
exchange with District staff,Executive Committee,Community Advisory Committee
*Community Advisory Committee:Comprised of District,PartnerAgencies,major landowners,community leaders
and othercommunity representatives
General Manager Involvement
The Open Space Vision Plan is also a top priority for the District's General Manager who will lead an
Executive Committee that will be charged with overseeing the progress and direction of the Vision
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Planning process to ensure that the project remains on schedule and produces the information and
deliverables needed to shape and lead an upcoming District funding campaign. Working directly with
the General Manager,the Executive Committee and Project Management Team will serve as the
oversight and feedback mechanism for the Vision Plan and Funding Measure, monitoring effectiveness
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and guiding adaptation during the process to achieve the greatest benefit for the District.
Timeline and Resources Needed:
The Vision Plan will be a major work effort in 2012 and 2013.The District Board will need to serve as the
face of the public participation process,given its identity as a public, regional,open space agency. The
Project Coordinator will need to coordinate closely with the Planning Department, and involve other key
District staff as needed,throughout this long-range planning effort. The Technical Experts,with
Planning staff assistance,will be required to complete many of the technical aspects of the project. The
Project Coordinator is also expected to coordinate as needed with a future consultant that will be
retained specifically for funding measure efforts.
Below is the proposed Vision Plan project schedule:
April 2012 Release Consultant Request for Qualifications/Proposals
May Consultant team selection/Board contract approval
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June Consultant kick-off meeting; data collection begins;Advisory Committee formed;
Communications and Outreach Plan developed
July 1st Community Advisory Committee (CAC) meeting; introduce project, schedule,goals,
roles and responsibilities;discuss open space values; review outreach plan and next
steps
Aug Assess data gaps;ground truth key data sets; and develop data findings
Sept 2nd CAC meeting to review data and findings; solicit additional relevant data; collect
I additional data to fill critical gaps
Oct Employ initial public outreach and hold 1"public Board workshop, introduce project and
present data and findings; solicit discussion on open space values, needs,constraints,
priority sites
Nov Identify priority sites; develop draft project selection criteria
d
Dec 3 rCAC meeting to review and discuss public comment to date,target priority areas, and
draft project selection criteria
Jan 2013 2"d round of public review, including 2"d public Board workshop,to present and solicit
feedback on priority areas and project selection criteria
Feb-Mar Refine components of the Vision Plan; develop sub-regions if appropriate; develop
prioritization matrix and list of projects
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Apr 4ch CAC meeting to review and refine revised Vision Plan, including sub-regions,
prioritization matrix, and draft list of projects
May Refine Vision Plan and project list; develop implementation cost estimates and schedule
Jun-July 3rd round of public review, including 3rd public Board workshop,to present and solicit
feedback on prioritization, project list,and implementation cost and schedule
Aug-Sept Refine Vision Plan; release Vision Plan for Board and public review
Oct Hold 1't Public Hearing-Tentative Approval of the Vision Plan
Dec 2013 Hold 2"d Public Hearing—Final Approval of the Vision Plan
Partner Agencies
Partner agencies are expected to engage in the Vision Planning process in various ways and are
considered important stakeholders whom the District will depend on to not only support and help
implement the Vision Plan, but also to support and advocate for future funding campaigns.
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Partners include:
• California State Parks • San Mateo County Parks
• City of Cupertino • San Mateo County Resource
• City of East Palo Alto Conservation District
0 City of Half Moon Bay • Santa Clara County Parks
• City of Los Altos • Santa Clara County Open Space
• City of Los Altos Hills Authority
0 City of Monte Sereno • Santa Clara Valley Water District
• City of Mountain View • Save the Redwoods League
• City of Saratoga • Sempervirens Fund
• City of Sunnyvale 0 South Skyline Association
0 Committee for Green Foothills • Redwood City
• Kings Mountain Association 0 Town of La Honda
• Peninsula Open Space Trust • Town of Los Gatos
• San Mateo County Agricultural Advisory • Town of Portola Valley
Committee • Town of Woodside
• San Mateo County Farm Bureau • Various unincorporated communities
Vision Plan and Funding Campaign
The Vision Planning process and Funding Campaign effort are expected to overlap significantly(see
graphic on next page). The Vision Planning process will serve as a vehicle to introduce, engage,and
excite the local community,organizations, and agencies about the District and its future. The Vision
Planning process will also provide much of the information,outreach materials, contacts, and final
Vision Plan as the platform for outreach and advocacy to develop and expand the District's support base
for a funding campaign.
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MEASURE
A Case Study
By Marty Boyer As commissioned by East Bay Regional Park District 2010
Ww and Reference
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Photos:Deane Little,Kevin Fox,and Eric Nicholas~
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Letterfrom the General Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Part One: Shaping the Measure . . . . -0 . . . . . . . . . . a . . . . . . . a . . . . . . . . . . M . . . . . , . . . . . l i
Draftingthe Measure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
LegalMatters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Developing a Plan, Crunching the Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
ToGo or Not to Go . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Part Two: Assembling aTeam. . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . g . . . a . . . , , .29
The Case for Outside Expertise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Keeping an Eye on the Public Pulse: Pollsters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Your Story Won't Tell Itself. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
Leadership. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
KeepingEveryone in the Loop. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4S
Part Three: The Emergence of the Outside Campaign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . a . . . . . .47
The Campaign Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
Building the Team; Getting Started Professional Fundraising The Ground Game
Financing the Campaign Minding the Treasury The Cyber Ground Game
Campaign Finance Subcommittee Chasing Endorsements Political Consultants
Part Four: The Intangibles. . . . . . . . . . . . . u . . . . . , . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . , a . . , . . . . .67
TheIntangibles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69
TheBest-Laid Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71
Appendices (See attached bonus CD) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
I. Initial Public Communications — Report on Prior 11. Public information and Outreach Plan
Bond Act Accomplishment, 1998 12. Public Outreach Meeting Agenda, 2008
2. Rationale for Extension of Bond Measure, 13. Public Outreach Presentations Staffing
Key Messages, 2007 Calendar—Sample, 2008
3. Reports on Prior Bond Act Accomplishments 14. Public Outreach Presentations—
4. Tracking Poll,june 2008 Final Summary, 2008
5. Exit Poll, November 2008 15. Measure WW Public Information
6. Measure WW Project List, Board Material Brochure (mailer), 2008
7. Measure WW Project List, Board Resolution 16. Measure WW Major Costs
Authorizing Acceptance (budget planner)
8. 2008 Election Gantt Chart(project management tool) 17. Sample Newsclips, Editorials, Articles,
9. County Elections Office Elections Timetable Columns, 2007-2009
10. Official Measure WW Ballot Information 18. East Bay Regional Park District Ballot
from Voter's Pamphlet Measures Election Results, 1988-2008
3
Letter from the General Manager
In late 2008, as my staff and I reviewed exit polls and wrapped up nearly
three years of work to pursue the $500 million park bond ballot measure
officially presented as Measure WW, I realized that my senior management
team of baby boomers was unlikely to be around for another such effort. I
was born a year prior to the war so I was probably a "Depression boomer."
Most members of the team have served East Bay Regional Park District for
many years and weathered several election measures,giving us a level of
experience in the somewhat surreal field of the election process that many
in local government have not attained.
And so, it came to me to compile a record of our experience with Measure
WW. At first, I envisioned a reference work for our successors who may
appreciate a guide for this bewildering journey. Collectively, we recognized
that Measure WW might serve as a useful case study to assist other local
agencies being pushed rather forcefully toward the ballot process by the
disintegration of traditional funding streams and an awful economy.
Speaking on behalf of the Board of Directors, my staff, and myself,we hope
that you find useful insight within this narrative and the lessons we have
learned and cited. Obviously, each reader will have different context and
needs, and the lessons will apply differently in each case.
Finally, where a thousand thank-you's are warranted,three will have to
suffice: First, this achievement would not have materialized, nor succeeded,
without our extraordinary Board of Directors who committed to the
effort, proved that commitment through their actions,and gave of their
own time so generously throughout the process. Second, I will always
be grateful for a remarkable staff,from top to bottom,who passionately
believe in the mission of the Park District and worked so hard —many of
them also volunteering their off-duty time to assist the outside campaign.
And finally, I wish for each reader the kind of grass-roots support for your
services that we enjoy at East Bay Regional Park District. It was community
activists, park users, and partners in the community who stepped up to
create, finance, and conduct the campaign that the District could not.
Everyone who values and uses our network of regional parks owes them
their gratitude.
i Pat O'Brien, General Manager
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Preface
By the mid-1980s, Proposition 13 and subsequent tax reform ballot
initiatives in California had resulted in dramatic decreases in available
funding for local governments and eliminated most options to backfill the
losses with new sources of revenue. Cities, counties, school districts, and
special districts, still reeling from devastating cuts forced by Proposition
13's passage in 1978, were beginning to understand the full and long-term
impacts of the landmark initiative put forward to protect taxpayers. The
mother's milk of local government financing—property taxes—clearly was
not going to be sufficient to operate programs and services in the future.
In response, agencies became more adept at pursuing new approaches to
financing using the few tools available to them. Key among those tools was,
and as of this writing, still is, the local ballot measure. This option, however,
requires an agency to take its cause directly to the very voters who stood
their ground against high taxes through Proposition 13 and its offspring
measures. And, if asking voters to pay more taxes is daunting, the California
Constitution makes it even more so by requiring two-thirds approval
to pass a specific-purpose ballot measure. In addition,the fiscal and
legal constraints on public officials that prohibit them from conducting a
campaign make passing ballot measures a very tall order for public entities.
Until 2009, The San Francisco Chronicle enjoyed high readership of a front-
page feature called "Chronicle Watch"which epitomized the paradox
of public sentiment an agency faces when asking for more taxes. In this
prominent space, the largest circulation newspaper in Northern California
for many years took on the reader-reported small failures of government
in the Bay Area. The feature included a photo of the broken sewer, clogged
drain, unfilled pothole, broken park bench, or missing signpost that was the
subject of the day's installment, and a sub-headline indicated how many days
it went unattended. Often, the agency official responsible for the service
featured awakened to his or her"mug shot" at the top of the column.
As Californians drew their line in the sand against tax increases and the cost
of government near the end of the 20th Century,the Chronicle feature
underscored the paradox that the public also expected a historically high
standard of living and quality of life.Today's citizenry demands more and better
services than ever,and demands them on an almost fail-safe level,all the while
standing tough against new taxes to pay for them. Even as the economy tanked
in late 2008,and thousands of public servants lost their jobs over the next year
and a statewide crisis in funding for local government worsened,an unfilled
pothole continued to merit protest and front-page attention by the Chronicle.
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Local government has been on the earful end of this paradox for decades.
And, they recognize that meeting the public's heightened expectations
requires confronting the legal constraints surrounding elections, offering
each tax-and-spend measure on its own merits, but keeping clear distance
from election activities.
Today,specific-purpose ballot measures are common throughout California.
Most focus on universally highly-valued services, such as schools, public
safety, libraries,additional local transportation needs,and parks. Hundreds
of such measures have been launched in California, but far fewer succeed. In
the 2008 General Election, hundreds of local agencies asked Californians for
various special tax measures.The vast majority of those that passed were
targeted to raising funds for schools and were aided by a lower threshold of
55 percent voter approval for school bond measures. But for those measures
seeking taxes for special purposes non-school related and requiring 2/3 vote
to pass,the odds remain long against the sponsoring agencies.
Local government does many things well. Election politics are not among
them, nor were they meant to be. State law strictly prohibits the ability of
government agencies from conducting campaign activities using taxpayer
money or taxpayer-financed staff time or resources. Yet despite the
limitations, those who seek approval to levy taxes have a right and an
obligation to ask the voters to consider and help pay for high priority
programs—and a responsibility to fully involve and inform the public
during the election process.Those entities that pose successful measures
invest the time, energy,and money to involve the community, develop a
detailed plan for the expenditures of the revenues, and identify partners
and professionals necessary to do the job. Meanwhile, an independent
complement of community supporters, interest groups, volunteers, and
political professionals conduct the campaign.
This is the account of one local measure, Measure WW, put on the ballot in
Alameda and Contra Costa counties in 2008 by the East Bay Regional Park
District Board of Directors to extend a tax assessment for acquisition and
development of regional parks and local park projects. It was the largest local
park bond measure for a local park district in U.S. history and is a reflection
of how one special district has repeatedly succeeded over many years in the
ballot process. It provides lessons for cities, counties,school districts,and
special districts considering a ballot measure.This case study is intended as
record for the District's next generation of leaders who may face the task of
seeking an extension of WW in 2028. We hope that it will also be a valuable
resource for all local officials who may find themselves in an arena they hadn't
imagined when entering public service—that of the professional who must
En s t B stand apart from,yet understand and work with the election process in
order to pursue their mission of public service.
6
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Overview
This case stud focuses on one revenue-raisin ballot mea
sure and attempts
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to share valuable information with those in local government who may be
e rsuaded that the ballot measure is the only true local) roote
d avenue
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to adequately fund vital services in the community. We have attempted
to marry two approaches. We offer the insight and experiences of those
involved with several successful local ballot measures, and cumulative
"Tips and Guidelines" in each section that can be helpful to any agency
committed to putting forth the strongest possible ballot measure with the
best chance of passage. We have also woven throughout a case study of
one successful local ballot measure in hopes that its example helps bring
the process alive for the reader. This report focuses on a process toward a
ballot measure seeking bond approval,fees, or a tax.
The case study chronicles the experience of East Bay Regional Park District
in November 2008, asking voters to extend a special assessment passed
by the voters in 1988 as Measure AA. Its 2008 successor, Measure WW,
would extend AA's mission to purchase and develop regional parklands, and
provide grants for recreational projects to local communities in Alameda
and Contra Costa counties—without any increase in the tax rate over that
approved in 1988. It would be expected to finance $500 million in bonds
over its expected lifetime of 20 years.
Readers may choose to assess how this election scenario contrasts
with others, citing differences in political demographics of a community,
popularity and image of a cause, wealth of the community, the state of
the economy, and other factors. All are relevant and certainly some are
weighed carefully when an agency considers the prospect of going forward
with a ballot measure. In 2008, some factors weighed in favor of Measure
WW; others seemed to discourage taking the risk. We hope that readers
will take what they can from this experience to apply in their situations and
adjust as they need to in consideration of the contextual backdrop they face.
With this in mind, a brief snapshot of the context the East Bay Regional
Park District faced and factored in to all decisions may be useful. Measure
years after its redecessor, Measure AA
WW was laced on the ballot 20 ea ,
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was passed, just as that measure's proceeds had nearly been expended.
It was one of a long menu of State and local initiatives on the ballot
for November 4, 2008— headlined by the most fascinating and spirited
presidential election of our times. Furthermore, the District had gone
to the voters just four years prior to ask for a special excise parcel tax
(Measure CC) to finance operations. The measure passed, but would
it be going to the well one too many times in 2008? Ll# Bayq)
7
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Unbeknownst to the District's Board of Directors and staff when they
culminated years of consideration and planning by officially filing in the
summer of 2008 to offer Measure WW,the election would ultimately be
held one month after the bottom fell out of the national economy, leading
to a deep and prolonged recession that continues as of this writing in
late 2009. Unemployment would soon reach 10 percent in California and
hundreds of thousands of Californians watched as their homes went into
foreclosure. Not a great time to ask for a tax to continue.
But the District also operates in a sociopolitical community unlike any
other. Its two-county jurisdiction in the East San Francisco Bay Area
includes Alameda and Contra Costa counties and serves 2.5 million
residents. Oakland and Berkeley are the heart of the District. It is
clearly among the most liberal and environmentally conscious political
communities in the nation, and the median education level in the two
counties is high, thanks in part to the presence of the University of
California's crown jewel in Berkeley (the university campus is geographically
collared by thousands of acres of District regional parks behind it).
That identity is a major part of why East Bay Regional Park District was
able to grow from its first three parks, opened in 1936, to 65 regional
parks that protect more than 100,000 acres in the two counties. The parks
experience an estimated 14 million visits each year from District residents
and travelers seeking quality, accessible parks. It is the largest network
of urban regional parks in the country. Then, too, the District enjoys
widespread credit for being among the best-run park systems in the nation
and enjoys a high degree of credibility and support from its pa
rk users and
community. We will explore this further within this case study.
Finally—and again,to be discussed further ahead—the District is dedicated
to a focused mission that leads to a high degree of unity among its staff,
supporters, and a Board of Directors who can agree on their mission and
i broad principles even as they may disagree on steps or turns in the path
to serve that mission. So,for example, an agency with a more diverse and
decentralized set of responsibilities and missions, in a different community,
perhaps with a lesser track record for performance in the perception of
its community, may struggle to find unity among its team as they consider
going to the voters. Cities and counties are examples of organizations with
more diverse responsibilities; libraries, public safety, and schools are often
as sharply focused in mission as a park district.
Facing both advantages and disadvantages, the East Bay Regional Park
District has used the ballot measure effectively and developed a high level
Ea s t Ba I Xq) of expertise in presenting measures and winning voter approval. The
8
i
District correctly gauges the public's priorities, involves the community at
every step, accepts that putting forth a measure is hard work and then does
it.The District brings in appropriate experts or spends as needed to do
the staff work right, all the while trusting community activists to carry the
campaign football on its behalf.
Measure WW went to the voters on Nov. 4, 2008, in both counties.
Despite last-minute crises that threatened the effort in each cou
nty—
including the measure going forward without a title on the ballot material
due to error by one county's registrar of voters—WW passed with
more than 71 percent approving it in each county. It was the seventh j
ballot measure the District has put forward dealing with bonds or special
assessments since 1988. Only two failed —each of those earning more than
60 percent but just shy of the required two-thirds.
It has become a cliche to view a long, challenging experience as a "journey,"
but that is what Measure WW was. The final step of that journey is to
capture it for future District leadership and for others in local government
i
who may benefit.
I III
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East B r. y
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Ea sa Bay
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10
East Bay
Regional '
ark District
Part One .
the Measure
Shaping
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East Bay
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12
Introduction
Putting the right special funding measure on the ballot is hard work
and involves many pieces. The two early efforts that often make or break
a measure are drafting the language for the measure, and developing the
plan that determines the specific projects or uses for the revenue, their
costs, and a plan for implementation of the projects. Virtually every arm
of a successful ballot measure effort grows organically from managing these
two tasks well on the front end. For example: The best fundraiser and
finance committee in the world cannot raise money unless the language of
the ballot measure accurately reflects a winning cause and a well thought-
out plan for using the money that responds to widespread, relevant input
from the community. Further, the draft has probably been amended, edited,
and perhaps even rewritten as a result of vetting it through various methods
of public opinion assessment, such as polls and community relations activities.
µ g " �
The East Bay Regional Park District was on a course toward Measure WW
for many years. Its predecessor, Measure AA, was passed in 1988 to finance
acquisition and development of parklands and would expire in 2008. If the
District was to continue on its mission in a significant way, the measure
would have to be renewed or extended to allow continuation of the crucial
taxpayer-approved capital revenue stream. The good news was that the
District had a model that had earned the required two-thirds 20 years
earlier, and planners could work from that same conceptual plan.
It included a successful formula for using the funds and sharing them with
the communities within the two counties, a very specific project list,
and a palatable tax rate. General Manager Pat O'Brien's Staff Oversight
Committee for WW directed the staff effort, taking full advantage
of the work he and staff had done back in 1988 and using that model
to begin the painstaking job of building a new plan for a new millennium.
Then-District Assistant General Manager for Operations Jerry Kent was
a key staff presence creating the 1988 plan and returned from retirement
to work on updating it for Measure WW. O'Brien and Assistant General
Manager Dave Collins worked with the Board of Directors at workshops
to craft the measure.
ayq)East B,
Ro-�iona� Park District
���i
13
�I
III
"First rule: If you have a good
model, don't throw it out," Kent
Tips and Guidelines says. "We knew that Measure AA
was a good model it had been very
Y
I. Begin very earl and take our issue to eve successful in achieving exactly what
g rY Y• Y every
segment of our jurisdiction for public we promised the taxpayers, and
8 Y !
comment and input. Surveys are critical. equally important, we made sure
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they knew it throughout
2. Begin with a good draft plan that includes those new
years."
something for every community to love.
Use your staff and your policymakers to help Nonetheless, today's world
develop the projects list and spending plan. demands ongoing, inclusive
3. Make sure your plan provides some discretion community involvement in creating
for every community. a draft measure. Measure AA's plan
4
and ballot language were drafted in
. Keep it simple, understandable,
a few weeks in response to a
and memorable. Include specifics.
specific opportunity (State Initiative
S. Expect disputes and leave room for your Proposition 70 won wide support
policy-making Board to make tweaks for State parks in June 1988, and
or settle disputes. with just five months to the
November election, the East Bay
Regional Park District saw the
opportunity to put a similar
measure on the ballot to benefit its two counties). But today, ballot-weary
and savvy voters are far more active and perhaps more skeptical. They
demand more involvement in an election process that would add to their
tax obligations or even continue existing taxes, and would also determine
the future of resources as precious as the regional park system.
Kent points to nearly two years of community input meetings throughout
the two counties, countless appearances before civic groups, advocacy and
interest groups, local government bodies, and small citizens'groups to get
input regarding the measure. Most specifically, the District sought input
regarding project priorities envisioned by the District to be financed
by the revenues.
i
Measure WW and its predecessor, Measure AA, adhered to the above
in defining the basic allocation formula for using the $500 million in bonds
being repaid through the assessment. It is a good example of how to balance
regional and community needs, as well as various kinds of uses:
East Bad
14
75 percent: District Projects
to Land Acquisition: 75 percent
in Development projects: 25 percent
25 percent: Local Agency Grant Program
TM Locally-determined projects (population-based grants)
I�
Development projects included park development, access improvements,
and environmental restoration projects. Land acquisition funds are available
to purchase land as it becomes available, some of which may be targeted
for park development while others may be set aside as open space preserves
or land-banked for indeterminate periods of time. More than 200 specific
projects offered something for every community within the District.
It is vital to be realistic when determining the tax rate amount being asked j
of the voters. Polls and other research will reveal what amount will get what
level of voter support; listen to those messages. Extending Measure WW
during a dramatic period of economic recession made it even more
important that the District conduct reliable public opinion polls and engage
the community at every opportunity to assess what would be palatable
to stressed voters. The data made it clear that their best chance
to succeed was to seek a simple renewal of the AA taxing formula
of$10 per $100,000 valuation, or approximately $40 per household
per year, based on average valuation in early 2008—a formula which
would not increase the current tax rate.
Drafting the Language: The Perfect 75 Words
Now that you have created a draft project plan and the terms of a ballot
measure, how hard can it be to draft the actual 75-word measure, the word
limit set by California election law? Writing a concise, effective document
of any kind can require a tremendous amount of work and some discord.
Philosopher Blaise Pascal once famously wrote in a long letter to a friend:
"7 would have written a shorter letter, but didn't have the time."
In our case study of Measure WW, consider that the District was selecting
75 words to ask taxpayers for $500 million over 20 years. They also
understood that at least a dozen people would want or need to help draft
the language. Writing the ballot language can seem at first blush like a simple E
P'l' District
15
i
j procedural step. In reality, it can become a make-or-break project
i
that requires much patience and compromise, and can determine
the election's outcome.
General Manager Pat O'Brien, Assistant General Manager Dave Collins,
District in-house Chief Counsel Ted Radosevich, and Assistant General
Manager Bob Doyle (Land Acquisition) created a first draft with the help
of pollster Dr. G. Gary Manross. In addition, the District had to work with
bond counsel to ensure language that would be acceptable to financial firms
who would be needed to issue bonds through the life of the measure. A
Board of Directors legislative committee, political consultants, and,
of course, attorneys, all had ideas about the magic 75 words that would
be most accurate and most successful at the polls. For example, significant
discussion emerged in determining whether the measure would
be referenced as a"continuation" of Measure AA or an "extension."
Public opinion prevailed when Manross' surveys determined that the word
"extension" clearly outpolled "continuation," although even Webster would
have difficulty defining the distinction between the two words. In fact, the
word "renewal"was the choice favored by staff.
As painstaking as the drafting was, the exact measure language was the
subject of the most disruptive detour en route to Election Day when one
elections official in Contra Costa County disputed the submitted language,
which came in at 75 words plus a title. The official ruled that the 75 word
count must include the title, contrary to that official's actions in a recent
election and also counter to the ruling by neighboring Alameda County.
The disagreement with one elections staffer forced the Park District
to rewrite just days before the deadline to carve out enough words
to be accepted and get on the ballot. (See "Legal Matters"section
for further information on this event.)
Some of the legal tasks related to a ballot measure are obvious. Others are
less so, and still others can be crises that arise and threaten the entire effort
if not handled quickly. In worse case scenarios, surprise legal issues can
occur as a critical deadline in the election process looms and a failure
to act quickly can doom the process. Such watershed events occurred
East with Measure WW, and we will provide insight into handling those
Pig Dw,,�ict situations later in this report.
16
I
Overall, legal matters and tasks related to the Measure WW election cycle
fell into general areas. Each is vital; any one neglected could have
constituted a fatal flaw to the process:
Satisfying bond counsel;
a Drafting of the measure (campaign filings were within the purview
of the campaign committee) and approval by bond counsel,
if applicable;
8 Managing compliance with State campaign restrictions;
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a Addressing unexpected crises.
Passing Muster with Bond Counsel
East Bay Regional Park District in-house counsel Ted Radosevich explains
that he, General Manager Pat O'Brien, Assistant General Manager Dave
Collins, and the District's longtime contract pollster, Dr. G. Gary Manross,
worked on the actual language to satisfy the financial community. In the case
of Measure WW, the District wanted to extend a special property tax rate
that had been collected since passage of Measure AA
in 1988. Opinion polls and a quickly developing recession led the General
Manager, Board of Directors, and an emerging campaign committee
to agree that the renewal measure must limit its ambitions to an extension
at the existing rate with language that assured there would be no increase.
"We realized that we had to craft a ballot measure that said it won't
increase your tax rate, but language that is too rigid might prevent any bond
firm from issuing the bonds for us," Radosevich explains. "We needed
language that stressed existing tax rate, but gave just enough flexibility
that we could work with bond firms." Further, the General Manager
had previously directed that he would not recommend language
that didn't include the phrase, "no increase in tax rate."
It was crucial to find a reputable bond counsel firm that would join with the
District to craft language to meet all needs, not just the legal requirements.
The District found that creativity and skill at the highly-regarded firm of
Jones, Hall, Hill &White, who worked closely with District staff, the Board,
and financial and survey consultants on the many nuances of the wording.
East Bay
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R `gmnal Park Disrrict
17
It is worth noting that Radosevich estimates that the 75-word ballot
measure went through 60-80 drafts once all the chefs in the kitchen,
including Board members, had contributed their input and all ideas were
examined for meaning, nuance, and priority themes. In other words,
approximately one draft per word of the measure. It is probably
an indicator as to why we should be grateful that elections officials
do not allow 750-word ballot measures. Several near-final options
were winnowed and tested by survey, as will be discussed later.
The final title for WW read as follows:
"Extend existing East Bay Regional Park District bond with
no increase in tax rate Bond Measure WW." (Emphasis added.)
Each word of a title must be carefully chosen for its political, factual, and
comprehension value. For example, as noted earlier, the word "extend"
had polled better than the word "continue" and was more accurate than
"renew." "No increase in tax rate" was a fundamental reassurance to voters
facing a recession. The obvious alternative, "no tax increase,"was discarded
as not accurate nor legally acceptable, since the rate remained the same
but the resulting tax bill may be higher to reflect increases
in the valuation of property.
The requirement to limit ballot language to 75 words became crucial
to an I Ith hour near-disaster for Measure WW, and will be discussed
below. However, Radosevich stresses that among the lessons learned
was how important it is to submit language earlier, rather than later. Flirting
with deadlines through the county elections office can be disastrous, leaving
no time to correct a problem or fight a battle with the Registrar of Voters.
Agencies sponsoring a measure cannot assume they will be granted
continuances, reprints, re-issuances of corrected materials, or other
major mitigations when elections officials err. Regardless of who is at fault,
an agency submitting a measure may well pay the penalty at the polls.
Ensuring Compliance with Campaign Laws
California State law clearly prohibits public employees from engaging
in campaign activities during work time, or from using the office telephone,
mail service, or other agency resources. Yet in the case of many ballot
measures, employees have a clear vested interest—and perhaps even
East Bay a personal passion —for the measure's cause. This is increasingly the case
og,la„li Park District in California, where tough fiscal times have led to budget cuts, layoffs,
18
and program reductions, and the ballot measure is closely related
to maintaining positions and services. In such circumstances, employees
may be eager to contribute their time and energy to the campaign. They
are also likely to be ignorant of the law, and it is critical that agency counsel
be proactive in educating staff about these restrictions and actively involved
in reviewing staff work throughout the process to ensure compliance.
However, this admonition should not be construed as a prohibition that
precludes an agency from performing appropriate and necessary staff
work to present the public with a well-planned and constructed measure,
and conducting public education and outreach efforts to inform residents
about that measure.
In 2009, the California Supreme Court reaffirmed the public agency's right
to perform varied public outreach activities related to a local ballot measure
in Vargas v City of Salinas, filed by opponents of public information materials
issues by the City during the election period for a utility users tax measure.
The Court's decision reaffirms a municipality's right to provide a"fair
presentation of the facts" to residents. Furthermore, it reaffirms the
governmental entity's right to publicly express an opinion with regard
to the merits of a proposed ballot measure, as affirmed by the State Court
of Appeals in Stonson, supra, 17 Cal.3d 206, 219-223. The Stonson decision
specifically addresses the distinction between public information and the
improper role of"'taking sides' in an election contest," singling out the
"use of the public treasury to mount an election campaign"as the suspect
conduct— not the issuance of fair, factual information about the financing
activities of the agency using a variety of widely distributed materials.
Radosevich has served the East Bay Regional Park District through several
ballot measures and has established clear, aggressive practices to ensure
safeguards against violations by staff.
East Bad
fko, �oral Pm� District
19
Tips and Guidelines
I. Before any election is placed on the ballot by the District, issue a memo to every staff
member with their paychecks explaining the restrictions and warning that they cannot
campaign on District time. Warn employees that those who choose to campaign
on their own time cannot say or imply that they work for the agency, cannot use
the office telephone for campaign-related calls, use office mail services, or other
District resources or time.
2. Legal counsel should keep away from the campaign, even during off-duty hours. In the
case of WW, Radosevich believes he may have been among the few senior managers
who did not get involved off-duty. He felt strongly that as the attorney, it was crucial
to keep clearly separated at all times from the campaign. (Another exception was
Public Affairs Division staff, whose role to oversee non-political public education and
information made it important for credibility's sake to stay out of the campaign even
on personal time.)
3. Although the agency itself does not take part in a campaign, the East Bay Regional Park
District believes strongly that it has an obligation and legal right to provide public
education and informational materials that explain the measure, its impact,and
its intended purposes, and has a tradition of investing in that effort. Legal counsel
should review such materials to ensure they are educational and informational
only and do not cross the line to advocate for a vote or position.
4. Emphasize clear, concise, and understandable language in your legal review
of materials. Radosevich believes that a measure will sell itself if the information
you draft clearly spells out what you intend to do with the money and you have
drafted the proper measure to reflect the public's priorities. General Manager
Pat O'Brien agrees, and advises that you explain exactly what you want to get done
and be specific in drafting the ballot language, as it will help you in the polling process
(see related section).
S. When reviewing materials, if it looks marginal, or close, be conservative in those calls.
Easy Bayo
20
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Managing Legal Landmines
Even when an agency puts forward the best-planned ballot measure effort
aided by long experience and a dedication of necessary time and resources,
there will be bombshells. Most will require legal attention. Such was the
case when the East Bay Regional Park District submitted its 75-word
Measure WW to its two jurisdictional elections offices, Alameda County
and Contra Costa County Registrars of Voters. Alameda's Registrar
accepted the measure and its title without question. But in Contra Costa,
the District encountered a far different reception when that county's
Registrar's staff rejected the measure's language, ruling that the measure's
17-word title added to the word count to exceed 75 words. No reasoning,
cajoling, or demonstration of neighboring Alameda County's acceptance
of the measure swayed Contra Costa elections officials, nor were they
persuaded by the fact that their own office did not count the title nor
the Districts previous ba
llot Measure
interpret the rules this way with ,
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CC, in 2004.
i
The General Manager and District Counsel assembled something resembling
a war room and plunged into the job of rewriting Measure WW to preserve
the all-important title by carving out words within the text to meet the
75-word total requirement in Contra Costa. Over the next 48 hours they
struggled to glean words without sacrificing clarity or flow of the narrative.
They sought advice and approval from attorneys, pollsters, and Board
members, with Board Member Beverly Lane fine-tuning some wording
crucial to ensure it remained in spirit and legality consistent with
the language submitted in Alameda County.
I
"We ended up with a couple of imperfectly worded phrases, and awkward
transitions where we sacrificed words, but we did it," O'Brien recalls with
a rueful chuckle.
The universe has a way of punishing those who say things cannot get
any worse. The battle over 75 words was thankfully becoming a memory
as Election Day approached. But flexibility was again the key when,
in mid-October, Alameda County's sample ballots arrived in voters'
mailboxes—minus any title for Measure WW! (See further discussion
later in this report.)
East q)
Bay
21
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Local agencies committed to asking taxpayers to approve a bond or special
assessment measure may wish to clone their finance officer two years prior
to the election. The steps to a responsible financial plan for the special
purpose tax rate are many and layered. The best of budget geniuses cannot
close one's self in an office and crunch a boilerplate formula to finance the
cost of vaguely defined services or projects and expect it to convince the
voters. Among the tasks ahead:
■ Compile and estimate costs for planned projects.
a Ensure revenue streams will service the bond's debt service.
■ Assess per unit taxpayer cost AND voters' tolerance to pay.
■ Balance above three findings.
■ Develop allocation plan (community equity must be considered).
• In the case of bond-financed measures, work with bond and legal
counsel.
■ Oversee and plan bond issues,grant programs, and other financial
processes associated with spending the revenues.
■ Overlay and match project plan with public input, poll results, etc.
a Have a reasonable plan for funding future impacts from
implementation.
a Keep tweaking until it all fits.
In the case of WW, an update to the Master Plan Map was also
*While Alameda County
has 14 cities,the City of necessary to inform the project list planning work.
Livermore was not included
as a participant in Measure Measure WW is a case study of a special purpose capital bond that required
WW because it was not many layers of financial planning to present a responsible proposal. The
annexed to East Bay District encompasses two counties, 33 cities*, and many unincorporated
Regional Park District until
1993 and,therefore,was communities. The goal was to achieve buy-in from each community both
not part of Measure AA, at the policy level and the grass-roots level. With a two-thirds requirement
of which Measure WW for passage, a very few unhappy communities could sink WW long
was an extension. before Election Day.
The original Measure AA the District sought to extend was developed
East Bay in 1988 in recognition of this reality. It was crafted to divide the bond
opo, ,a! RIF i Mali lct.:
22
i
revenues from the tax rate into pots for three general purposes:
75 percent for Park District projects (3/4 for land acquisition and protection,
1/4 for recreational and park development), and 25 percent for local park
and recreation projects. To ensure local control, communities would
submit grant applications for funding from their allocation, which was
based on census population. The per capita distribution formula served
the communities, public, and District well, and was essentially repeated
for WW with the appropriate adjustments for population shifts.
Assistant General Manager Dave Collins, District finance and administrative
! officer, worked early with research pollster Manross,the Board,the General
Manager and staff, and others to test options and arrive at a target amount
of money to seek. They determined that $500 million over approximately
20 years was the optimal figure. This amount represented a replication
of the $225 million approved through Measure AA in 1988, adjusted for j
PP g
inflation to provide roughly equal buying power. Though many advocates
sought a larger amount, this concept prevailed, supported by survey
research that indicated a higher probability of success. The initial list
of projects was winnowed down to $500 million, focusing on highest
priority needs in the community. Quite simply, it made political
and practical sense to keep the cost to taxpayers at existing levels
as the General Manager had directed.
! The District spent two years compiling the WW project list, including draft
project descriptions and allocation estimates, visiting every part of the two
counties to hold a variety of public forums for input and working with all
stakeholders to develop consensus on a fair and equitable allocation plan.
"We tried to avoid the two absolute ends of the spectrum," Collins
explains. "We didn't want to approach the public looking vague—we
obviously have expert information on many of the needs and opportunities
to grow and improve the District and East Bay recreation we could provide.
Yet we didn't want to just hit them with a list in which they felt no ownership.
Essentially, we avoided both 'What should we do with the money?'
and 'Here is the list.' Instead, we gave them a specific program and asked
'This is what we heard from you. Did we get it right?' A lot of it we had
gotten right; other times, the community response significantly improved
the draft list. Showing that we listened and made changes also built
! credibility and trust."
East Bay
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23
We will explore the myriad arms of the community input aspect of Measure
WW in other sections of this report. For now, our focus is on the
community effort to help develop the specific project list that would
be widely distributed and otherwise made available for public scrutiny
long before the election.
The evolving plan was also placed regularly on the Board of Directors'
agenda and was a topic in five Board workshops each year to get Directors'
input and direction. "We made very sure that we were hearing what each
of seven board members felt was a priority in his or her ward. The process
also helped build the Board as a team behind the measure, welding them
together, preventing factions, building common understandings, finding
consensus, and fostering a climate of constructive participation even as we
faced something as dauntingly complex as a ballot measure," Collins added.
"We worked for consensus on the big decisions first: total amount,
distribution formula, tax rate, date of election, etc., and over time
worked down to finer levels of detail."
Like most political policy boards, the District's seven board members
came from very diverse communities and perspectives. The District enjoys
an advantage in that the common bond among them usually is a shared
passion for parks and open space that are well maintained and accessible
to the public. The also tend to serve on the Board for man terms with
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few exceptions, strengthening them as a team and fostering a high degree
of expertise on the Board. I
"That does not happen by accident," General Manager Pat O'Brien stresses.
"You encourage this kind of stellar Board by working closely with them
over the years, by including them as partners in the work, and keeping
'them informed every step of the way. And that cannot begin six months
before an election —it must be the culture of the successful public agency."
(Emphasis added.)
I
Collins tracked all the project proposals and updates,the estimated
costs, and various iterations of how to fairly allocate the anticipated
funds to overlay with the priorities of the dozens of communities,
the limitations of revenues, community and board input, various special-
interest stakeholders (including a variety of environmental groups who
actively engage in park issues), and staff expertise. He worked and reworked
the list to find equity among the diverse communities and Board members'
East Bay seven wards of representation.
24
I developed a monster spreadsheet that I carried on my laptop to take
to all these meetings to answer questions, take notes on recommendations,
project on the wall when necessary, and to create specialized project
sortings for geographical areas or interest groups," he remembers. "All told,
over those two years, 1 created more than 85 versions of that spreadsheet
before we distilled it to the final,adopted project plan." (Excerpts from one
version of the spreadsheet are attached as Appendix 3b to provide some
general sense of the level of detail developed, tracked, retained, analyzed,
and balanced to complete the project plan.)
I
At the same time, Collins developed a finance schedule and project
structure. The measure if approved would authorize sale of$500 million
in bonds, which met the threshold polling suggested taxpayers would
support, to repay bonds issued in phases of$50 million every two years
over approximately 20 years. Such a schedule also meant developing
scenarios to adjust to the downturn in property values in the recession
(or other possible economic downturns over the life of the measure),
as well as changes in census, consumer price index increases, and other
variables. All had to be planned to honor the commitment to a $10 per
$100,000 assessed valuation per household. (The first$80 million
in bonds was successfully marketed in mid-2009 with interest rates
as low as the lowest available in 35 years, a great deal for taxpayers.)
Finally, the overall District effort was detailed with standard project
management software used commonly in major construction projects.
This continually updated schedule helped track tasks, due dates, critical
path elements, and staff assignments, and reflected the relationships
among a large team working together for the overall effort.
"Attention to detail is important, and there are a lot of details in an effort
like this," Collins says. "Forgetting critical details can cost the agency
an election either at the polls, or afterwards through legal challenges."
This language in this bond measure raised a particular, financially-related
r
challenge. Specifically, language written as an ironclad promise, o guarantee,,
to never exceed a specific tax rate (rather than just the total amount
of the bond) in effect could be construed to limit an agency's ability to raise
sufficient revenues to repay the bonds. This is the type of concern that can
chase away the best bond firms and lenders. Collins worked with bond
counsel to craft language that would provide the assurances both lenders East Bay
(P
` � al Park District
25
and taxpayers would require, yet
also meet the legal requirements
Tips and Guidelines being scrupulously monitored
P by District Counsel Ted
I. Developing a sound plan requires intelligence that Radosevich and the General
captures public opinion and input. Polls, surveys, Manager's Oversight Committee.
and other methods of gathering this information
are vital to ensure your plan responds to public As he undertook these macro-
(voters') priorities. level issues, Collins also
2. Start with a well-grounded team with developed the criteria for the
complementary skills, a deep level of experience local project grant funding
with the organization and community, and the and a process for administering
ability to work well together as personalities. it over the life of the measure.
Make sure someone is highly organized and
possesses the technical capability to capture A final critical point on the
the process as it evolves in a way that translates financial front: Local elections
for many audiences. can be outrageously expensive,
as your county will charge you
3. Make sure the evolving plan's format is interactive, its election costs. The District's
allowing you to try variations or amendments election costs as billed by the
quickly without re-inventing the document. counties for this two-county
4. Roll up your sleeves and get out in the measure was in excess of$2
community. You don't get a strong plan if you million, which by law is borne by
haven't visited the community and learned its the District's general fund —win
character and the actual services you may be or lose. "We planned ahead for
providing at the grassroots level. The best several years, building sufficient
spending plan is one that has been thoroughly funding in our budget to pay the
and publicly vetted. two counties for this election.
Even so, we underestimated the
S. Develop a plan that is specific, but not cast
final bill. We ultimately retained
in concrete. Give the public specific information
an outside specialist to review
and an opportunity to make it better. the matter and help us challenge
6. Use accurate information and reliable estimates. and renegotiate some of the
There is no substitute for credibility of the charges," Collins explains.
information—now, or later when you try
to implement the measure's p promises— Collins was one partner
and be prepared to show your work! of a three-man team that
7. Be patient! There are few shortcuts to a solid pulled together the financing,
plan. Remember that there were 85 iterations of the potential for land acquisition,
Measure WW's plan before the final was adopted, and the specific park development
projects that had to fit together
101
26
i
to create a project plan for spending the proceeds of the extension.
Assistant General Manager Bob Doyle oversees land planning and
acquisition for the District and Mike Anderson is Assistant General Manager
. The three were partners
for De
velopment,ment Planningand Stewardship. h
P P P
on the long road to completing the Measure WW project list.
"Bob had a really strong understanding and foresight about where land
might become available, who might be close to selling their property,
what it might support," explains Anderson. "Dave has a clear understanding
of what is financially viable, how to balance the relative values and interests
involved, and how to structure the polling and organize the process. And
my piece was to try to overlay the two, look at the polls and all the public
input we gathered in community efforts, and figure out what kind of park
construction we could plug in to serve each community, where we had
access and utilities and support, and how to choose projects in a way
that provided equity in all communities."
Together, the three created version after version after version of a plan,
dividing the jurisdiction into six logical areas to ensure equitable distribution,
and then capturing it in Collins' monster spreadsheet. The final project plan
included 67 projects throughout the District in phases over the 20 years
of the measure, plus the potential for hundreds of smaller local recreation
grants in every community the District serves.
As an agency completes the considerable work to draft a measure
and create a detailed plan, its leaders must decide whether to go forward,
officially submitting the measure to the county Registrar of Voters
months prior to election. A number of factors will have helped form
a recommendation and must be considered. They vary greatly with each
issue and community, and there is no magic number of factors or standard
checklist that must be met. But all help inform the final decision. Questions
to ask of yourselves include:
Q: How many and what other measures are expected on the ballot? Are
you asking for a tax or assessment while other agencies are doing the same?
Q: Do early polls show support for your vision? East Bay(p
Regionai Par J�
27
Q: Does a majority of your leadership support the measure and have
you tried to satisfy those who are less supportive?
Q: Do you want to place this on a general or special election ballot?
Will the turnout favor your item?
Q: Are the most prominent issues expected on the ballot compatible
with the voters you hope to reach and your issue?
Q: Have you gone to the well recently, or too often? Have you tried this
measure before and failed, and if so, have you waited long enough and/or
addressed the factors that help doom the earlier effort? Or, have
circumstances changed?
Q: Do you see the outside interest to feel confident an independent
campaign will emerge and fight for your cause? Conversely, have you
done the community work and planning to satisfy as many would-be
opponents as possible?
Q: Do you have the resources to pay election-related expenses,
and is your policy body willing to allocate those resources? Do you have
the staff time, skill, and organizational consensus necessary for several
years of preparation?
East Bayo
28
East Bay
Regional Park District
Part Two :
Assembling a Team
y�
Lake Chabot Regional Park
Photo:Kevin Fox
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East Bad
30
Elections and election politics are not a project for the do-it-yourselfer.
Even armed with a well thought-out measure, a keen sense of public
opinion, and an outside campaign structure, presenting a successful
ballot measure requires specialized expertise.
Among the most common (and costly) mistakes many local agencies
make when putting forth a ballot measure is to shortchange themselves
P g g
on expertise. It is ironic that public servants pride themselves on being
non-political and therefore, it follows, have little expertise in the field
of politics, yet somehow believe they can effectively present a winning
measure to their electorate without the help of experts to present
a viable ballot measure in a political environment.
This delusion is further fueled by an unwarranted belief that if the measure
is "the right cause," the voters will recognize and embrace it. This pattern
is regularly repeated among local agencies throughout California and
somewhat baffling in view of the equally common belief in local government
circles that the public doesn't understand or appreciate their services.
Considering the large number of ballot measure losses each election cycle,
it seems that some local agencies suffer from the classic syndrome of
continuing to do the same wrong-headed thing while expecting different
results. In this section, we will explore a few of the vital forms of expertise
that can benefit your effort to move forward with a ballot measure.
F
Conducting voter opinion polls can be time consuming, expensive, even
distasteful to some. It is also essential to putting forward a winning ballot
measure that appeals to the public's priorities and, therefore, inclination
to support you in the voting booth. Dr. G. Gary Manross, CEO of Strategy
Research Institute has provided polling services for the East Bay Regional
Park District for many years and election cycles. In his experience with
District ballot measures since the 1980s, Manross has conducted polling q)
�East J
Rea: ,)n,3.I {".3. l"
31
for many Park District measures, beginning with Measure AA in 1988. All
but two passed. In both cases where measures failed, he predicted the loss.
"It's really quite simple," Manross says of the decision whether to conduct
polls. "Either you want to make an informed decision regarding a ballot
measure, or you don't. Polling voters allows us to find out what people
want from their government, and how much they are willing to pay for it."
It is crucial that an agency sponsoring a ballot measure goes into it armed
with reliable information and updates that information along the way.
Polling at critical stages provides valuable information to help draft, amend
as needed, and measure the success of the campaign strategy and your own
outreach efforts in persuading voters to support the measure at critical
junctures along the way. Manross also employs a "go/no-go" survey model
that can provide an agency a sort of exit ramp if it appears the agency
is pursuing a losing cause. Public opinion polls may cost money; failing
to conduct them while investing staff work into an uninformed ballot
measure effort can be far more expensive. And, it can damage
the potential to put another measure forward at a later date.
Polling makes good economic sense as well. Out-of-pocket election
expenses of more than $2 million, win or lose (not including staff time,
the cost of public information), mean that going forward with a ballot
measure is a major taxpayer expense that requires strong justification
and the highest probability of success, which polling can provide.
In the case of Measure WW, polling costs represented less than
5 percent of out-of-pocket District expenses to prepare for the election.
Getting the most out of money spent on polls requires timing and the right
pollster. Much can depend on the type of ballot measure, the community,
and the length of start-up time. In the case of Measure WW, thought likely
to go to the voters in November 2008, a recap of the polls conducted may
help guide others:
January 2007: Early polling to gauge public reaction to very
specific issue questions. Results showed 76.5 percent of likely voters
support continuing the tax approved in 1988 as Measure AA and
due to run out of funds. But poll results showed greater support
when the wording asked to "extend"the tax, rather than
"continue" it. The same poll made it clear the public would not
East support an increase in the tax rate although an increase would
have allowed the District to further achieve its goals over the life
32
I
of the measure. The poll's results also met the criteria set for
the "go/no-go" model, establishing a high degree of confidence
that a well-run campaign would succeed in November.
January 2008: Second poll as election year dawned.
Economy began slipping and support dropped to 72 percent.
Still met the thresholds set in the
"go/no-go" model.
June 2008: Mid-year poll
included actual draft measure
language and showed support Tips and Guidelines
climbing slightly again to
g Y g
73.5 percent despite further I. Accept that polls are crucial. They will provide
sagging in the economy. road markers to support your vision, provide
Public education and guidance in shaping your measure's details
outreach by the District and target resident groups that need attention,
was in motion.The outside or offer a reality check on your perspective.
campaign committee was
2. Invest in a professional,experienced with
raising money and becoming
customer satisfaction tools and with
active. Results provided
local ballot measures.
confidence that the actual
draft language of the 3. Listen to the polls and don't be afraid to change
measure was responsive course as appropriate to reflect the priorities
to public priorities. of the public.
a November 2008: An exit 4. Commission polls at critical points in the
poll was conducted, providing process: at conception of the idea, before
insight regarding the factors moving to place a measure on the ballot,
that helped Measure WW and along the process to measure the results
and voter preferences that of your work.
may help the District plan S. If respected pollsters conclude your
services or draft future ballot measure will not meet with voter support,
measures, should that consider carefully g before investing further
be necessary. time and money.
The District has conducted these and 6. Conduct exit poll to inform future services,
other surveys
polls olls at District
ballot measures.
expense unrelated to a specific
election as part of the continuing
efforts to keep a finger on the public
pulse and gauge customer satisfaction. Embedded in the data from one such East Bay(p
poll done during the Measure WW effort was a finding that voters in one
33
urban community where support was not as strong as expected placed
a high priority on creek restoration. The project plan was adjusted to
include more creek restoration and public affairs went to work headlining
that aspect of the plan. Measure WW ultimately won in that part of the
community. It was a pivotal point in building a WW strategy that may not
have been identified were it not for the polling ordered by the District.
Based on the plans developed and polls showing more than 70 percent
support, the Board of Directors voted to submit the measure to the voters
in November's General Election. The District paid for the polling services
to gather valuable information from the public about what they wanted from
their regional park system, and they listened to those polls. Had the results
been different, the measure likely would not have been put on the ballot.
r`
The best-crafted ballot measure for the most righteous of causes stands
a strong likelihood of failing if you do not tell your story plainly, loudly,
and continuously to the voters. Some agencies handicap themselves at the
onset by shortchanging the effort to communicate the issues to the public
and their stakeholders. First, many public entities view public affairs and
community relations activities as "extras," dedicating from zero to very few
resources to such functions and reducing that commitment in difficult fiscal
times. It is a striking contrast to the private sector, where companies often
rely on public affairs and public relations activities to push them through
the down-cycles in business. Second, public agencies often compound this
failing by assuming that the cause they are putting forward is good, and
therefore will be supported by voters. A false perception that any public
outreach violates strict State laws further limits their potential
in presenting ballot measures.
These attitudes can be debilitating when at election is at stake. Further,
they neglect the fundamental right and responsibility of government to keep
the public informed and educated about serious matters of public policy.
A public agency is obligated to communicate with the public extensively
when it is asking for the voters' authority for a special tax to fund a capital
program or service.
East Bayo
If there is one area of activity that permeated every aspect of the effort
to pass Measure WW and is credited by virtually everyone connected
34
with the measure as integral in WW's success, it is the public education and
information program managed by the Public Affairs Division of the District.
Those from other arms of the WW project, both among staff and from the
outside campaign, return repeatedly to the reality that this was not a short-
term communications plan that coincided with the months of the campaign,
but a long-term vision and commitment that began several years before
election and involved a wide array of collateral materials, appearances, news
media strategies, community relations activities, and ongoing"branding"
efforts. In the case of the East Bay Regional Park District, such activities are
aggressively pursued whether or not there is a ballot measure to explain.
Affairs developed, implemented, and adjusted an evolving
For WW Public Affa s develo
P P I g
communications strategy that began two to three years ahead of the
November 2008 election based on the high likelihood that the Board
of Directors would move to extend the highly successful capital bond act
first approved in 1988 as Measure AA.
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Planning and Using the Plan
District Public Affairs has continually set goals and objectives for its work
and strategies and a timeline to achieve them. The Division also plans
at a project level, developing specific communications plans for such high
profile issues as the 75th Anniversary year, the grazing plans within the
parks, development of major parklands, significant environmental issues,
i
and ballot measures. The strategic communications plan that served
Measure WW features more than a dozen iterations and updates—
each one emerging from a constant set of principles, messages, and themes
to serve the project,and featuring a wide range of strategies that could
be adjusted as events warrant a change in direction.
The plan's format will vary according to an agency's style or preferences—
there is no one way to compile the plan (see appendix for a sample iteration
of the Measure WW communications plan). But all effective communications
plans share some common elements: an agreed-upon set of key themes
or messages, a list of identified target audiences, a set of strategies to reach
those audiences using available resources, and a timeline. Obviously,
it is also important to monitor progress, updating the status of the plan
and reassessing for possible changes in course or strategy.
The Park District has long recognized that the effort to develop a few key
messages to serve an issue is the foundation of a communications plan that East ��
(p
will effectively connect with the public and the specific audiences it hopes �,gi al i;k District
35
III
to reach. For example, hear are a few of the key messages that were
constant refrains along the course of the Measure WW effort and
were echoed in every communication strategy and to every audience:
a Measure WW would extend a successful, existing measure
at no increase in tax rate;
It would allow the District to continue protecting open space and
parklands, and developing local parks projects in every community;
is The District delivered on its promises over the two decades
of Measure AA (WW's predecessor), completing hundreds
of park projects and leveraging every dollar into another dollar
of funding from other sources.
Agencies seeking the best chance for success at the polls plan early and
provide continuous public outreach. At EBRPD, Public Affairs was working
its plan toward Measure WW in 2005 and 2006, long before the measure
had a place on the ballot or even a name. "We were rolling out updated
information on all we had accomplished using Measure AA since 1988,"
Community Relations Manager Carol Johnson says. "It was consistent with
our continuing branding efforts,which, in turn, set the stage if the Board
decided to go for the extension.
"We were working on improving our website, attending breakfasts, events,
and mixers in the community, we did presentations, customer surveys,
and made sure our messages were consistent everywhere we went."
Assistant General Manager for Public Affairs Rosemary Cameron recalls
that the District began the specific outreach for Measure WW immediately
after obtaining voter approval for a new special excise parcel tax in 2004
to finance operations. "We just never let up—we kept the same heartbeat
going from the day the 2004 election was over, beginning with more
polling and satisfaction surveys among park users."
By 2007, the Division was implementing a sort of pre-WW communications
plan to step up reports to the public about the District's accomplishments
using the proceeds from Measure AA. That outreach continued a theme
they had been shouting virtually since winning AA in 1988. The 2007
plan increased strategies to serve that theme to prepare the ground
for the 2008 election.
East Bay
36
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The plan to celebrate the 20th anniversary of AA began a year earlier,
in 2007. A centerpiece of the celebration was a series of community
leadership breakfasts hosted by Board members in their respective wards
focused on the accomplishments of AA and the District's future. Other
activities included dozens of news interviews, community events, speakers'
appearances, website materials, and discussions with interest groups
in the community.
Also in 2007, the District's contract pollster, Dr. G. Gary Manross,
conducted the first community survey of the general public using the
random telephone method, rather than polling only registered voters
as traditionally done by the District. This survey, while not geared towards
i
voters' attitudes on a particular funding measure, nonetheless provided
valuable insight into general public knowledge of the Park District,
its parklands and programs, and how they get information about
the District. The findings would help Public Affairs shape its plan
I
and strategies as the 2008 General Election approached.
This kind of full-court press does not come cheap, as so many in local
governments hope it will when they decide to take a ballot measure to the
voters. The production of special public education materials was the most
significant additional cost to the Public Affairs budget. The Board allocated
$150,000 for brochures and other materials that would reach more than
I
2 million residents in the two-county district during 2008. The District also
paid for pollster Manross to conduct public opinion polls and customer
satisfaction surveys, which were closely watched to guide continuous
improvement in customer service, and help plan for the parks'future. But
the information gleaned was also valuable in helping shape Measure WW,
its project list, and the public affairs strategy to take it forward.
While these are sizeable investments, most of the strategies contained
in the communications plan and discussed here are strategies that required
the expense of staff time, not District dollars.
What's in a Brand?
As impressive as the above may seem to local agencies with fewer
resources committed to public affairs programs and services, it is the tip
of the iceberg. For the Park District, it is a two-decade commitment to
branding—establishing its identity and building trust within the community East Bayq)
37
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on a continual basis. This was both natural and possible for the District
due to the long commitment to public affairs at the agency.
"When I first came here, there was a limited public information effort,
but no marketing strategy, no significant public outreach or publications
telling the District's story or appealing to the public to use the parks except
in the effort to pass Measure AA," recalls General Manager Pat O'Brien.
"We provided services, but we needed outreach and access, and
a communications system so the public would know of those services
and recognize us anywhere. 1 saw a direct link between those things
and knew public affairs activities were critical to that linkage."
Indeed, then-General Manager Dick Trudeau formed the public
information office in 1964, establishing what has been a 45-year
commitment to outreach. Prior to his appointment as General Manager,
Trudeau himself had managed public affairs for the District at the direction
of then General Manager William Penn Mott.
But it has been O'Brien who grew the office into a far-reaching and widely
respected system of community relations and public affairs. Today, a staff
of 17 full-time positions manage public information, community relations,
ongoing and special publications, signage in the parks,graphics needs, and
staff a community foundation to support the parks (three positions). Many
were deeply involved in the drive to educate the public and take Measure
WW into the community—some devoting a significant portion of their
work time to the effort.
In addition, the Public Affairs Division put into play its volunteers,
community supporters, and personal services contracts to supplement the
staff and focus on specialized tasks. There was plenty for everyone to do.
As impressive as the District's commitment to public affairs is, it cannot
be effective unless the organization uses it wisely, according to Cameron,
j whose position as an Assistant General Manager reflects the organization's
value of Public Affairs. "Leadership has always embraced (public affairs)
as a vital part of the team, and viewed me as an equal among the District's
executive team.And we deliver."
Cameron notes that pursuing a ballot measure requires regular, close
interaction with the District's leadership. "I can't imagine how my team
East Bay could car ryout the right message and strategies if t hadn't
been at the table
38
with the General Manager's WW Oversight Committee for almost two
years. An agency that waits to involve Public Affairs until an important
project gets to the final stages is short-sighted."
This interaction allowed the Public Affairs Division to develop a long-term
plan. "We had a plan from early on and we followed it," Cameron recalls.
"We delivered on the strategies we planned. If we forgot something, we
adjusted and switched or added strategies, such as when we realized that
the Chambers of Commerce in the cities are a valuable community audience
we were neglecting. We added in an ambitious speakers' bureau schedule
and took our story to dozens of Chamber meetings in the months
preceding the election."
All told, Public Affairs coordinated hundreds of appearances to reach every
constituency during 2007 and 2008, developing presentations and materials,
staffing many of those appearances themselves, and supporting District
elected and appointed leadership as they attended many more.
Public Affairs also made sure that the District website had a dedicated space
for Measure WW news. Electronic media, including social media sites, now
offer more ways than ever to reach residents essentially free of charge,
offering the opportunity to post the project plans and announcements
of all forums at which the public can meet firsthand those who are
developing the measure's spending plan. Cameron reminds agencies that
online they can easily add information fact sheets or brochures, columns
or letters from the agency leader, and key messages and goals for the
measure—everything educational that does not advocate.
While it is difficult to track hits to all online sources of news about Measure
WW, the East Bay Regional Park District reports more than 800,000 page
views of its website over the two months prior to Election Day 2008,
and through the end of November 2008. They do know that thousands
of viewers took menu choices from the home page, where the most viewers
enter the site,to view pages that contained news related to Measure WW.
Obviously, it is also a primary responsibility of Public Affairs to place
and pitch news and feature news stories in the media, monitor news
coverage and respond as needed, plan for editorial briefings and write
guest articles for community newspapers and alternative media, ensure
that news is available to multi-lingual media outlets, and conduct
all normal media relations activities. East
Bayq)
P&-Zfonal Park C i i, C
39
District Be Nimble; District Be Quick!
Adaptability and the ability to respond quickly were crucial when just three
weeks prior to the election the District discovered that the Registrar
of Voters in Alameda County (the majority of the jurisdiction) had left
the title off the measure in the official voters' pamphlet mailed to all voters.
While lawyers and leadership dropped everything to wrangle concessions
from the Registrar to help mitigate the damage, Public Affairs went into
overdrive, placing newspaper ads, issuing direct mail pieces, posting website
information, pitching news stories and providing interviews for print and
broadcast, and prepping staff leadership to make the most of the strategies
available to counter the problem.
"Being nimble is as important as being flexible," Cameron points out. "You
may have done everything right for months or even years, but the totally
unexpected can undo your good work if your agency cannot change course
and respond quickly when crisis hits. And that response is usually going to
require the full team to respond —in this case, it required political and staff
leadership, in-house and outside counsel, public affairs, and others,
to minimize the damage."
Sometimes responding quickl
to changes in the political landscape re uires
onlysubtle adjustments that can have profound impact. Such was the case
! P P
with one slight message change inspired by the dramatic drop in the economy
in the month prior to Election Day 2008. As pundits began to question
the advisability of asking for a tax continuance during economic free-fall,
Board Member Ted Radke resurrected a theme contained in a news article
ja year earlier, but perfect for the new economic order. This excerpt
was found in a November 2007 lead editorial in the Contra Costa Times,
suggesting early support by that key newspaper for what would
become Measure WW:
"The reason the East Bay has one of the most extensive urban park systems in
the world is the long-range vision of the East Bay Regional Park District During the
Great Depression of the 1930s, park proponents had the foresight to raise money
to buy huge tracts of land, much of which was then sparsely populated areas."
This theme reflects the District's savvy at branding itself in a way that
resonates with the public and adapting with specific messages consistent
with that brand when an issue requires it. The Great Depression reference
East Ba was echoed in the waning hours of the 2008 election season in many
Fez °i'.)=.-_-0 P')lk Di`tricr
40
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forums. Ultimately, Measure WW lost
very little support even as the recession Guidelines
'`
deepened close to Election Day. Tips and V d U I d e'I n eS
The public outreach effort for Measure I. Start very early. This includes a years-out
WW had many tentacles delivering clear, commitment to branding.
consistent messages over several years
and throughout every pocket of the 2. Make aplan—then follow it,
two counties the District serves. 3. Adjust the plan as needed.
4. Repeat Steps 2 and 3.
Cameron also stresses some core
principles for success: S. Keep messages simple and positive.
The task is exponentially easier b. Listen to polls.
and more successful in agencies 7. Leverage everything and everyone into
committed to a long-term public multiple strategies,tasks, and resources.
affairs component staffed by
seasoned professionals who work 8. Expect to work very hard.
closely with agency leadership. 9. Stay out of the campaign and work closely
Similarly, you are halfway there with legal staff to keep clear of the line
if you have continuously between agency roles and the campaign.
"branded"yourselves, solidly 10. Call in additional outside help if you need it.
establishing an identity and
credibility in the community. 1 1• Budget for collateral public education
materials, surveys, consultants'time,
� Public affairs leadership must be at and expertise needed to implement
the table, participating on an equal
level with other executive team your plan professionally.
members on an ongoing basis
throughout the process, from
conception through the "thank you" phase after the election.
Agencies cannot hide behind campaign restrictions to avoid the
responsibility of providing vital public education and information
to the community. Recognize that public outreach is a right and
a responsibility, as well as crucial to your success.
IN Many outreach activities require using staff time and existing
communications vehicles or resources— not additional money.
But the budget required for educational materials or outside
help to inform the public is a necessity, not a luxury.
Your website and other electronic media tools are powerful
weapons to wield and relatively free of additional cost. Use them East Bayo
all and update them frequently with news of the ballot measure.
41
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Measure WW and other measures put forth by the East Bay Regional Park
District over recent decades have benefitted from a positive organizational
culture. Such a culture cannot exist, of course, unless at the top of that
organization resides positive staff and political leadership nurturing it.
On the staff side, the executive orchestrates the multitude of tasks
necessary to present the public with a thoughtful, responsive, and credible
ballot measure —dedicating as many extra hours as necessary to see the
staff work is done, and done well. During the two years leading up to
Measure WW's day on the ballot, General Manager Pat O'Brien also
dedicated countless hours of personal time and contributed personal
funds to the Campaign Committee.
O'Brien assembled and supported each step of the way a staff team
to direct various non-campaign, operational efforts, including:
0 Finance plan for the bond issuances;
9 Citizen engagement to develop a project list for spending plan;
H Land acquisition and park development plans;
8 Community sharing grant program;
■ Public affairs and community education regarding the measure;
W Public opinion polls and surveys to ensure that the measure put
forth responded to public priorities;
• Drafting of the measure;
a Related legal filings;
■ Assembling a Measure WW Oversight Committee comprised
of his executive team that worked for two years. The Oversight
Committee met monthly to ensure that the staff worked to prepare
a project plan and ballot measure that was done well, responded
to the public's priorities, and would be matched with an accurate,
responsible funding plan.
But a full-court press staff effort is not possible without the leadership
and support of the policymakers. The Board of Directors were also active
participants, committing time and thought that went far beyond the vote
East Bay to go forward with the measure. Board Chairman Doug Siden spent
18 months heading the campaign committee, launching the front-end
42
planning and fundraising work almost a year before the issue was officially
filed. Board members Ted Radke, Beverly Lane, and John Sutter also served
on the campaign committee while other members of the seven-person
board participated at various points. All seven focused in their respective
wards (districts) to get endorsements, raise money, make presentations
to civic groups, and inspire ground campaign participants.
Clearly, an agency headed by a unified policy board has a significant
leadership advantage over an agency in which the elected officials disagree
about going to the voters. This advantage can also translate into support
for the staff and the resources (time and money) needed to conduct
the staff activities to prepare a serious ballot measure. However, once
a board of directors, board of supervisors, city council, school board,
or any other local policy body has voted by majority to proceed with a ballot
measure, every effort should be made to help the entire board or council's
members find consensus and play an active, positive role in the campaign.
"A good example of fostering leadership in the Measure WW experience
was the series of workshops Pat O'Brien and Dave Collins put together
for the Board," recalls Board member Beverly Lane. "I admit I was resistant
at first, as were some other board members and even some of the staff that
were involved. But it turned out those sessions were very useful and helped
staff put together a plan for the proceeds that had something for every
ward, and to respond to the priorities of each board member. And that
resulted in buy-in from everyone on the Board.
"The workshops were also a way to keep us continuously updated
and informed so we could take accurate and consistent information
out to the community when we appeared on behalf of the measure."
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Lane also stresses that holding study sessions for the full Board proved
extremely useful in revealing differences and generating honest discussions
about those differences. "True, the sessions are posted and open to the
public, but they are less formal and fewer people seem to attend, so they
bring out the points of disagreement we needed to resolve in a productive
way. I would advise any agency looking to put a measure on the ballot
to conduct these study sessions for their elected officials."
Board member Radke agrees. "Those sessions helped us find consensus,
even if we didn't agree on every detail of how to get to our goals," he recalls."The toughest disagreement was early on when we debated whether East D
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to expand from the initial Measure AA formula, which worked so well for
20 years and voters understood. The work sessions allowed us to thrash
that out and agree to stay with what worked in AA, and then work with
smaller issues along the way to finalize a project plan for the bonds."
Radke and Lane acknowledge the advantage a unified Board brings
to an election process and the power of their ability as elected officials
to bridge the world of the staff work and the outside campaign.
Many policymaking boards appoint a legislative committee, which can
be extremely valuable in helping staff focus their preparatory work while
serving as a liaison that keeps communications flowing between staff
and the policy board. That committee should reflect Board diversity
and can help building consensus among the policy body members.
Tips and Guidelines
I. Accept that policymakers will face disagreement among themselves, but work hard
to find consensus on goals and key points early on.
2. Use your status as a bridge to enlist political support from influential leaders early,
and then build on those endorsements.
3. Support staff. Recognize the hard work they will do, respect that their role must
be limited to a professional one, and provide the resources and funding they need
to do the job right. (Board Member Radke points to an example in which the Board
increased the budget for Public Affairs Division significantly to pay for public education
materials leading up to the election.)
4. Do credible polling using a professional pollster, then listen to those polls.
S. Radke advises that the organization emphasize public affairs and public information.
He stresses that it is the function that threads through every aspect of the drive for
a ballot measure. If you are neglecting that function now, don't expect to create a strong
public outreach and citizen engagement effort for a few months in the campaign.
6. When interviewing political consultants, listen for the operative that understands
the agency's strengths and existing resources, and builds on them.
East Bayo
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Anyone who has worked in a large organization—especially a government
agency— has experienced communications frustrations. Keeping colleagues
in scattered locations and with diverse functions informed and updated,
but without burying them in an avalanche of e-mails, reports, and memos,
is a challenge. This becomes especially vexing during a ballot measure when
reams of materials are being produced; everyone is overloaded with new
responsibilities. Perhaps most problematic is that half the work is being
done by an independent campaign committee and it feels as though the
relationship is such that one party is working from a land for which
the other party has no passport.
Each part of the effort can exercise common-sense techniques for keeping
I
their team informed. As for communication between the staff and campaign
camps, those separate efforts cannot be nor are they intended to be joined.
But there are bridges that can occur naturally.
Proven tactics, formal and informal, can help an agency keep its staff
working in concert toward a common goal of presenting a well-reasoned,
planned, and responsive ballot measure for the voters' consideration.
East Bay
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III
Tips and Guidelines
I. Establish an oversight team or committee of executive staff. Meet regularly for updates and
developments on all fronts. Follow a regular agenda and routine to make those meetings most
productive and efficient. For more than two years leading to Measure WW on the November
ballot, the General Manager's Oversight Committee of executive staff representatives met
monthly to monitor progress on the project plan,financial component, public affairs and
community relations effort, legal aspects and filings, and other tasks related to WW.
2. Keep your living documents such as the project plan in an interactive, online format to allow
the most up-to-date versions and information to be available to everyone.
3. Use the website to post latest developments and information, both internally and on public
pages as appropriate.
4. Provide monthly updates on ballot measure staff work to the policy board.
S. Hold an appropriate series of work sessions or study sessions with the policy board to further
their input and confront any disputes or inequities they may perceive in the plan. Keep
policymakers involved.
6. Maintain a collection bank of materials issued both by the agency and any outside campaign
committee as soon as available. Review regularly to keep abreast of activities and to detect
any problems or inconsistencies.
7. Embrace and involve recent retirees, or other agency-savvy people who volunteer with
the campaign committee and may also be useful volunteers to the staff effort, bringing with
them an inside understanding of the campaign's direction.
8. On your own time, try to keep a close eye on the campaign's website and outreach efforts.
9. If your agency hires a pollster to do non-campaign, customer satisfaction, and public opinion
polling, he or she may also as a matter of choice visit the campaign as a resource and to gather
useful information. That person can be a valuable bridge between staff and the campaign.
10. Keep employees informed with postings on the website, intra-net, memos—even brown bag
informational lunches, if that works in your organization.
11. Make sure the staff and campaign provide courtesy information as appropriate. For example,
sharing a courtesy copy of such items as brochures, speaking schedules, and the like can avoid
duplicating efforts or working at cross purposes by issuing inconsistent messages.
East Bay(p
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f
E a s t Bay
Regional Park District
Pnr#- Three
The Emergence of the
outside Campaign
Egret
Photo:Eric Nicholas
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Building the Team; Getting Started
The campaign committee obviously must operate at a long arm's length
from the agency and its staff putting forth a ballot measure. It is a separation
that must be scrupulously adhered to and understood by everyone
connected with the measure.
If your agency has advocacy groups, special interest groups, and other
organized support or natural political allies, the core of your campaign
committee is likely to emerge from those sources. For example: police
reserve associations will work hard for a public safety measure, many
libraries can rely Library P on a Friends of the Librar group, and in the case of
Measure WW, the Regional Parks Foundation brings highly successful
community leaders to service on behalf of the parks. Labor organizations
can be a major source of support, and were in the case of Measure WW.
Your elected policy board of directors, council members, or supervisors
may be the conduit that approaches and recruits such leaders to the
campaign. Some employees and union representatives may also choose
to give off-duty hours as campaign volunteers but should never be asked
by management to do so. In other words,while the professional
organization and the campaign are separate operations as required
by law, they share a common purpose that naturally bridges the campaign
and staff efforts in a complementary way while maintaining a safe
and appropriate separation between the two.
While every campaign committee in each community evolves from different
roots, we will provide information into the formation and roles of a typical
committee and its application in the case of Measure WW.
Your campaign committee will include (but may not be limited to) members
in several key roles:
• Chair (and possibly co-chair).
• Finance chair (or subcommittee).
• Treasurer.
r Endorsement chair (or subcommittee). East B
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The committee will direct the major activities of any campaign that cannot
be conducted by professional staff within the agency:
• Hire and direct political consultant(s).
• Raise money.
• Hire and direct the professional fundraiser(s).
• Document donations and file required financial and campaign reports.
• Pay bills.
• Seek endorsements.
• Produce and distribute mass mailings, emails, pamphlets, other campaign
materials (usually accomplished by hired political consultants).
• Coordinate with allied organizations (e.g., The Sierra Club, Save Mt.
Diablo, and others with interest in Measure WW).
• Organize and coordinate "on the ground" efforts, i.e.: precinct walks,
telephone banks,get-out-the-vote activities, etc.
• Conduct polls and research activities.
EBRPD Board of Directors member Doug Siden served as chairperson
of the Campaign for Measure WW Committee and remembers the
formative steps putting the Committee into action. Siden volunteered
in early 2007 to serve as chairperson and was meeting with a core group
of like-minded supporters soon thereafter. Fellow Board members Beverly
Lane and Ted Radke also attended that first, formative meeting of the
Campaign Committee, held in June 2007. Siden remembers early tasks
on that agenda's checklist:
6 Discussed committee membership, focusing on criteria that would best
ensure success: campaign experience, close community ties from
diverse areas, a balance of focuses (e.g., both business and
environmental activists were important to a regional parks measure),
and a complement of skills. 1
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m Formed a subcommittee to interview and recommend political
consultants.
0 Selected a professional fundraiser, developed contract, set fundraising
timelines and goals.
V Discussed early fundraising strategies, contracted with a fundraiser.
a Identified a treasurer.
East Bay
Is Set earliest priorities and strategies; assigned roles and responsibilities.
s0
N Began developing an endorsement target list and strategy, which would
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allow early fundraising.
Delegated member to develop endorsement card.
Chose name for the campaign, "Yes on Parks," and assigned member
to file for campaign number.
When seeking the right team, organizations may find that they have precious
human resources in the form of talented and available retirees.Jerry Kent,
a recently retired Assistant General Manager for EBRPD, proved the point
in the campaign for WW. While Kent had retired a few years earlier, his
passion for the District he served for decades was as active as ever, and he
channeled it into the campaign. He filled several roles but focused on two
critical tasks for which he may have been uniquely qualified: volunteering
to work with staff in pulling together the communities within the District
to develop a project list; and serving as a core member of the Campaign
Committee, chairing the endorsement effort.
I
Retirees like Kent and others offer significant benefits and advantages
to a campaign. They have agency expertise and historical perspective. They
may have even worked on ballot measures in the past(as was the case with
Kent). They may be retired, but continue to be lured by the agency or its
mission and likely miss the connections and involvement in the community.
They often are happy to reignite that involvement on a temporary basis.
They have deep contacts in the community with those who may be
campaign supporters and opponents, and the ability to approach them.
Perhaps equally valuable is their ability to work on a volunteer basis with
staff as needed while simultaneously working with the campaign without
legal conflict. In effect, they may be a vital bridge between the professional
and the political effort that helps organically promote a more consistent, j
accurate, and unified approach to the measure.
When the Campaign Committee began to tackle its tasks, they also set
in motion a principle and a meeting strategy to balance the need for
updates and strategic brainstorming and desire to avoid a culture devoted
to meetings. In order to provide the most efficient yet effective stewardship
of the campaign, they kept Committee membership to 22, of which about
a dozen attended most meetings as their tasks were front and center.
The Committee met monthly for 15 to 16 months, beginning at formation
and continuing through Election Day. East Bay(p
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"We also established routines right up front to make sure we kept
everyone in the loop as much as possible," Siden says.
In addition, a few District staff leaders like O'Brien, Collins, and Doyle
volunteered significant personal time so they could attend as resources
to the Committee. Stakeholder-group representatives, such as the Sierra
Club, Save Mt. Diablo, and others either served on the Committee or
served as resources to the Committee. Representatives of the two named
organizations were also members of the Committee and tireless workers.
Of course, the political consultants and fundraiser were frequent attendees
at the Committee meetings and worked at the Committee's direction.
Financing the Campaign
Financing a local ballot measure campaign is no small task given the often
contentious nature of the modern political arena, the disenchantment
of the public with taxation and politics, and the high cost of running
a campaign, particularly in a higher-population environment. Many agencies
seek a tax or bond measure during difficult fiscal times and a struggling
economy, and therefore, campaigns are appealing to donors when usual
donors may have little money to give.
The financing structure of a typical campaign has several parts. Measure
WW was a textbook example of the goal-driven and effective financial
operation. It was comprised of three major units of a focused team under
the auspices of the independent campaign, working from a strategic plan:
8 Finance Subcommittee with strong finance chairperson(s).
a Treasurer.
a Professional contract fundraiser.
Each unit played a distinct role in the financial element of Measure WW
campaign. Each member of the team within those units held a clearly-defined
responsibility and worked closely with the team for the effort. A campaign
committee for a ballot measure effort should identify and put to work the
finance team very early in the process. This team was in place and raising
money as early as the spring of 2007 for a measure on the November 4,
2008 ballot.
East. Bayo
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Obviously, the funds needed to run a successful campaign are different
in communities of different size, media makeup, cost of living, and nature
of the ballot measure. The East Bay Regional Park District encompasses
two urban counties in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. The cost
of living is high and the population exceeds 2 million. The regional parks
are generally perceived in this politically progressive community
as a positive cause and the District is fortunate to serve an inherently
popular issue. With this snapshot in mind, the Campaign Finance
Subcommittee set a fundraising goal for Measure WW of$400,000.
Ultimately, they raised approximately $650,000.
Campaign Finance Subcommittee
The Campaign Committee for Measure WW selected six to eight members
for the Finance Subcommittee, led by co-chairs Eric Zell and Jim Summers.
Zell is principal of his own campaign consulting firm, Zell and Associates,
which has deep ties in the Contra Costa County portion of the Park
District, but took on the Measure WW finance role as a volunteer.
Summers was a past member of the Regional Parks Foundation whose
professional life as a business leader has fostered valuable relationships
within the development community and throughout Alameda County. The
two were developing a fundraising strategy and putting their half a dozen
committee members to work implementing it a year prior to the election.
"Frankly, that first several months before the measure was officially placed
on the ballot were spent in educational activities with potential donors,
or getting verbal commitments early from likely donors with vested
interests," explains Zell. "Part of that educational process is to persuade
potential donors that if they are going to give money, it is better to give
it early when it can have the most impact and they can get the most notice
for doing so. It's about lining up the dollars we will collect once the measure
is on the ballot."
For example, the Measure WW campaign recognized and benefited from
the District's traditional ability to be a conciliatory middleman between
issues such as development and transportation in the East Bay, both
of which need Parks District support at crucial times. Both communities
were likely partners to support the District as it went for the extension
of a property tax assessment through WW. Even the oil industry with
its significant presence in Contra Costa County became an ally in WW due East B y+
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to its desire to have significant open space near its refineries and the Park w i n-,v Park District
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District's ability to provide that space. Zell notes that"you probably
can't brand yourself with any better entity than the (East Bay Regional)
Park District."
Tips and Guidelines
1. Select campaign committee finance members thoughtfully. Create a team that includes
a broad spectrum of stakeholders. Measure WW found that 8-10 members were
enough to be representative and share the load, yet not an unduly cumbersome
number for practical decision-making. Include committee members who have
campaign fundraising success. Find self-starters with access to various segments
of the community of potential donors, and who are enthusiastic.
2. Use meetings sparingly but effectively. The Measure WW campaign finance team
members met a very few times for in-depth planning meetings and by telephone
a few more times. More of their time was left to the individual members to do the job.
3. In developing your fundraising strategy and identifying targets, consider partners with
whom you can co-brand.join hands to represent a mutually beneficial cause. Once
you have the campaign finance committee established,work together. Brainstorm
to develop a comprehensive list of targets for fundraising. Then sort out who best
on the Committee to approach each target,and how to make that approach.
4. Give the members of the campaign finance committee specific and clear goals.
Then turn them loose to achieve them.
S. Use a professional fundraiser. Give him or her motivation or incentive to perform well.
6. Begin early. Zell views the early pitch for donations as beginning an educational
process for the fundraising frenzy later on. In many early calls, his committee
members sought verbal commitments for the future.
7. Remind them of Zell's principle: "The first$50,000 raised can have more impact
than the last $50,000 raised."
One dedicated partnership generated a powerful spark in the fundraising
engine a year prior to the election. The Regional Parks Foundation,
comprised of respected community and business leaders who support the
regional parks, provided a $50,000 contribution in the form of a challenge
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grant. Once the Campaign Committee demonstrated it had raised an equal
amount the Foundation contributed a second $50,000.
The bottom line, according to Zell, a campaign veteran, is that you can raise
the money for a good cause that has been well-branded among the voters.
He believes the Regional Parks have done this as well as any public entity
in Northern California. Furthermore he believes you can raise even more
money for a good cause in which people have a vested interest. Find those
people, approach them appropriately, and you may begin financing your
campaign. Summers adds that following this model, the fundraisers and
finance people for a credible cause with credible campaign leaders can
leverage donations to create more donations and otherwise support
the measure.
Professional Fundraising
The Campaign Committee will contract with a professional fundraiser,
commonly using the combination of a flat contract fee and a bonus incentive
for exceeding the negotiated goals of the contract. Representatives first
discussed the impending ballot measure with professional campaign
fundraiser Laurie Earp in June, 2007, and executed a contract to begin
fundraising immediately in December, 2007— 1 1 months in advance
of the election. The professional fundraiser's tasks included:
a Making follow-up calls and outreach to potential donors contacted
by Committee members;
Callingand other methods of outreach to those on the target
g
list that the Committee determined should be approached
by the professional fundraiser;
■ Identifying and reaching additional potential donors, as well
as other strategies for fundraising, such as fundraising events.
The Measure WW Campaign Committee's agreement with Earp was similar
to previous campaigns on which she worked, combining the two to draft
a compensation plan that everyone felt good about.
"We began with a fundraising goal of$400,000, which I thought was
ambitious, maybe even too ambitious," Siden remembers. "Then we
structured the contract to set a realistic, median, and optimistic goal for
the purposes of compensating the fundraiser. Those goals were $300,000, E a s t Bay
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$500,000 and $600,000, with graduated compensation at each level.
Anything above $400,000 earned her an incentive percentage."
The Foundation provided significant"seed money" to launch the campaign,
but Earp's fundraising expertise was a significant factor in building a total
treasury of$651,000.
Like so many other tasks involved in a campaign, fundraising was a team
effort, with Earp responsible for collecting pledges, encouraging and helping
the Campaign Committee's members as they sought contributions through
their contacts,fundraising events, solicitation letters, and online donations.
"I view fundraising in concentric circles," Earp explains. "You begin with
your nearest and dearest supporters, such as contractors, vendors,
partners, past donors. Your next circle includes natural supporters,
advocates, and special interest groups such as the unions or environmental
organizations. Then you go to like-minded individuals and members
of stakeholder groups in the community."
Earp doesn't stress fundraiser events as much as some of her colleagues.
"I plan a couple of events to kick off and get visibility in a target community
where the demographics may help us," she says. "But I don't believe that
lots of energy-consuming events are generally helpful."
She considers each of the legally-defined contribution periods over a
campaign timeline to be important, and strives to see strong contribution
numbers in each one. "We began collecting donations 18 months prior to
the election, which helps launch the campaign. It is also money that allows
the Committee to leverage for more money and donations. But the real
drive starts one year out and peaks about 6-7 months before Election Day."
Earp warns that fundraising is not easy work, particularly in a recession as
was the case in WW, and everyone must do their part. Despite her primary
role, every Committee member has access to certain potential donors and
must be engaged in reaching out to them.
"The Committee for Measure WW was stellar," she says. "They spent
hours with me helping compile a target list. But they also stepped up and
made their calls, going through their individual lists. Bottom line: There
East Bay is no way around the hard work and awkward calls."
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Some District employees choose to help with this effort on their personal
time. Assistant General Manager Bob Doyle was mentioned as a senior
employee who volunteered personal time making those challenging calls
and meeting with high impact potential donors,yielding several significant
contributions that strengthened the campaign war chest.
Minding the Treasury
Many sponsors of ballot measures and other political campaigns go awry for
lack of strong fiscal oversight and careful adherence to the labyrinth of
campaign laws governing every step of the effort. The campaign committee
must involve a reliable and scrupulous treasurer at the very earliest planning
stages— not just to manage the receipt, expenditure, and accounting of
campaign funds, but to prevent missteps under the Fair Political Practices
Commission's regulations.
The campaign committee for Measure WW turned to Ken Moresi, who had
served in a similar role for previous Park District measures. Prior to his first
EBRPD campaign, he had never been a campaign treasurer, nor was that
necessarily a requirement to do it well. Discussing his role, tasks, and
approach to the job during WW, he makes it clear that patience, a sense
of orderliness and respect for deadlines, and a willingness to ask questions,
research answers, and ask for help from others are qualities that make this
critical operation work and ensure the integrity of the campaign. Moresi
maintains that even for a relatively small campaign, such as WW, he could
not have done it all without his wife, Mary Moresi, serving essentially as his
job-sharing partner.
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The job includes two general areas of responsibility: Accounting for the
campaign funds, and filing the necessary campaign financing reports with
the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC). In addition, the campaign
treasurer will likely be the person responsible for several important filings,
including: forms to establish the campaign's status applications as a 501 (3)
(c) tax exempt entity, forms with the FPPC to open the treasury, and annual
federal and State tax returns for the campaign. He or she will also file final
tax returns after the campaign's conclusion.
"It's my job to keep the campaign out of trouble with the FPPC, and off
the front page," says Moresi. "I see the work as making sure we obey
all the rules and keep complete records and accounting of the money East Bayq)
we take and the money we spend." In his two-person approach Regi,:)na! NO, Districr
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to Measure WW, Moresi focused on the rules and banking while his wife
did the recordkeeping.
While the paperwork is significant, the process is actually straightforward.
Getting the campaign funded and established requires clear steps, some
to be completed before the first dollar is collected and the campaign
launched. For Measure WW, the Campaign Committee decided to have
filings completed about one year prior to the election and significantly
prior to receiving contributions. This cleared the way to focus on the
campaign and not the process once the campaign was officially on.
Filings by the Treasurer include:
0 Open an FPPC file for the campaign using the Commission's Form 410.
a File with the Internal Revenue Service for tax-exempt status,
or 501 (3)(c).
■ Complete regular and timely campaign contribution reports using FPPC
Form 460 as required by the Commission. FPPC will provide a schedule
of deadline dates, including instructions for using the forms, when the
file is opened.
a Complete annual returns for the IRS and State Franchise Board.
N After conclusion of the campaign and debts are paid, a final tax return
to the IRS and State Franchise will be required.
The treasurer's accounting duties will include tracking all campaign
contributions and expenditures by clear categories required on the FPPC
regular reporting Form 460.
The FPPC can present an intimidating set of rules and procedures, but its
staff can also be the Treasurer's most important resource, Moresi found.
"Use the FPPC 1-800 phone number to reach one of their advisory staff
during normal work hours, and they will walk you through anything or find
you the right resource," Moresi advises. "Take careful notes during Y g � g those
phone conversations and try to do your homework with the FPPC manual
before calling. Mine is dog-eared because I have probably read each part
between 20 and 30 times over the course of one campaign. It answers
many questions if you just look."
The importance of rigid adherence to the rules and attention to these
processes can't be overstated. "The staff at the FPPC will work hard
Ea s t Bay to help you do it right and keep you straight," Moressi concludes,
0 1
k Dis €4c,t "but they will come down on you hard if you make stupid mistakes." I
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Clearly, the first and most important step in starting the treasury is to find
a treasurer who will increase the chances the job will be done completely,
on time, and correctly. The treasurer needs to be a dependable and detail-
oriented person, patient, willing to ask questions and do research, organized,
and very good with deadlines. He or she should be fixated on scrupulous
adherence to the rules and regulations to protect the integrity of the entire
campaign, its members, and the public agency that placed the measure
on the ballot.
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Chasing Endorsements
The endorsement drive for any campaign can be viewed as developing
a credibility list, one name at a time, the campaign becoming that much
stronger with each added name or group. Various members of the
WW Campaign Committee provided a sense of the development of the
endorsement process, beginning with brainstorming sessions to simply
compile names and organizations that may support the cause and persuade
individual voters. It becomes a living document, subject to additions,
deletions, and changing priorities as the campaign goes on.
Committee Chairperson Doug Siden and Endorsement Chairman Jerry Kent
recalled the logical and common-sense approach to dividing up the work
to chase hundreds of important endorsements. "The Board members took
on the job of reaching out to other elected officials. They called the city
council, elected supervisors in both counties, school board members,
State legislators and the Congressional contingent, and any other locally
elected official who helps represent the value of parks, the environment,
and the importance of recreation to families," Kent says.
Jerry Kent brought his depth and breadth of experience with the District
to best advantage when he agreed to lead the endorsement drive for the
Committee. His decades with the District had taken him into virtually every
corner and community within the jurisdiction, developing strong ties with
critical civic groups, special interest groups, and individuals.
Like Kent, some Committee members had long experience with
environmental groups, local stakeholders, and community activists. Others
were part of the region's business community and focused on its leaders. East Bayo
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The Ground Game
Many foot soldiers from a variety of armies worked very hard to help
Measure WW succeed, and no agency offering a measure should expect
to win two-thirds vote without them. After the measure has been drafted,
the exhaustive work to craft an implementation plan completed, the political
expertise applied and polling done, and the money raised, it falls upon
a network of supporters to help sell the measure in a way that staff cannot.
They are an integral part of the ground game that will compile hundreds
if not thousands of grassroots endorsements, visit community groups
and get out the vote.
Ron Brown, executive director of Save Mt. Diablo, an environmental
advocacy group in Contra Costa County dedicated to preservation of the
area's environmental crown jewel, played a critical role in the Measure WW
ground game. Save Mt. Diablo illustrates how a campaign can turn to like-
minded partners in the community to advocate for a measure and bring
needed forces to your ground game.
"It was really clear that the success of Measure WW overlaps with the goals
and mission of Save Mt. Diablo," Brown explains. "We had a traditionally
strong relationship with East Bay Regional Park District and it was important
for our goals to do all we could to help WW pass."That included providing
input in the initial process to plan a project list for spending the proceeds
from bonds Measure WW would authorize. Save Mt. Diablo joined dozens
of other stakeholder and special interest groups that attended the meetings
and testified at a multitude of community forums during which the District
sought detailed input for the project plan list.
"The second track of our effort came during the campaign," Brown adds.
"We have an important environmental role in Contra Costa County and
extensive relationships with city councils, the Board of Supervisors, and
business and civic groups in that half of the Park District's jurisdiction.
Save Mt. Diablo made countless presentations to those groups, sought
endorsements, and worked at the grassroots level to get out the vote,
educate our friends, distribute signs and literature—everything that goes
with the ground-level effort to reach people in a good campaign." Brown
himself reached down to the grassroots level, across activist citizen
lines to fellow civic leaders, and above all by serving as a member of the
Campaign Committee as Chairman of the Contra Costa County Campaign.
pEast� yo
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The Sierra Club is a natural ally for the Park District and causes that protect
and preserve parklands, and the considerable weight of a Sierra Club
partnership helped Measure WW. The Sierra Club has long been actively
engaged in District issues and policies—often, as a partner; occasionally
as an opponent; but always as steadfast supporter of the District's mission
and the regional parks. During the Measure WW campaign, the powerhouse
environmental advocacy group brought both its political clout and its money
to the drive. San Francisco Bay Chapter President Norm La Force served
on the Campaign Committee. His chapter put up the money and office
space for a full-time staff person to the campaign. And, with the Sierra Club
came its sophisticated network of outreach. The chapter not only provided
the endorsement and staff aid, it also distributed fliers at Bay Area Rapid
Transit stations, community festivals, street fairs, and anywhere else that
their presence could make a difference.
Save Mt. Diablo's Ron Brown underscores the value of using partners
in a good ground game for a campaign, but also summarizes what strengths
help East Bay Regional Park District fulfill its staff and organizational
obligations related to ballot measures well enough to gain voter
approval repeatedly, and especially in 2008 with Measure WW:
"First, the District has very successfully brought parks and a wonderful trail
system to the people, and the results are easy for everyone in this urban
area to see use and enjoy. In other words, they delivered on the promise
of WW's predecessor, Measure AA, over 20 years. Second, they are led
by a responsive, thoughtful Board of Directors and a very professional
staff who are highly attuned to the public.And final) when the take
g Y P Y� Y
on a ballot measure, they do it right. They step up and do the work,
involve the public in a meaningful way, and spend what they need
to in order to do the staff work professionally."
Brown says all these factors make it easy for the District's community
partners to get involved, and easy for them to persuade most audiences
that Measure WW was a worthy cause. But easy sell or not, it still
requires stepping up, doing the work, and making the appearances
to show the customers the product.
Brown is just one very involved example of many who brought community
energy into the campaign. Ground forces came from a multitude
of community groups who support the District, share its goals, East Baycp
t.� rt �a h r d� % t�icr w
61
r
or simply enjoy the parks. The Sierra Club also provided funding for a staff
person to help coordinate the grassroots campaign for Measure WW.
The Cyber Ground Game
Certainly, Measure WW provided insight into a plan and process for putting
forth a ballot measure by assembling the right team and using traditional
and effective methods. At the District offices, where information went out
to educate and inform the public about Measure WW completely separate
from the campaign, staff found, like other local government agencies that
placed measures on the 2008 General Election ballot, that they were
exploring a brave new world of elections in which emerging tools such
as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and blogs played increasing roles
in elections. Measure WW was on the ballot at a historical point when
social media was developing and its use exploding. The District and the
separate campaign each used websites effectively, with the District reporting
thousands of"hits" to the educational material regarding Measure WW
posted on its website. The campaign also used mass emails effectively
in their efforts to harness volunteer workers and raise funds.
But social media was just emerging and quickly proving its power
in the 2008 presidential campaign that pitted relative newcomer on the
national scene, Barack Obama, against higher-profile Senator John McCain.
By Election Day, it was clear we were witnessing the unleashing
of a powerful force in campaign politics.
The importance of the new media—especially social media— in today's
political process cannot be overstated. The speed with which tech tools
burst onto the political landscape and redefined our notions about
"grassroots" campaigning, fundraising, and public outreach was stunning.
One only need consider a few bottom lines from President Obama's
historical election in November 2008 to appreciate the role of the Internet
and how it has changed elections forever. The numbers are staggering:
millions of voters—especially young voters—met Obama online and
followed his mass emails and blogs. Approximately 35,000 Obama for
America volunteer groups formed through online tools. Three million
people contributed $500 million to the Obama campaign. The candidate
had tapped into the donation potential of the masses, increasing the power
of America's small donors in an arena long dominated by the wealthiest
East Bay contributors. These cyber-followers contributed to building an email list
62
of 13 million names (creating a ready base for a reelection campaign
in 2012). All counted, more than 1,800 campaign-related YouTube videos
were created. On-line supporters turned into ground workers, campaign
volunteers, and donors.
The campaign also took advantage of readily available, cost-effective
advertising online, reaching millions of Americans unhappy or affected
by the sinking economy. It became a valuable complement to the advertising
campaign in traditional media.
A minor historical footnote is telling: While the Obama campaign included
at least 90 people working on new media strategies, Republican opponent
Sen.John McCain had four workers devoted to new media.
All this was achieved using barely-minted tech tools. Facebook was
registered as open to all in 2006, two years after being founded for college
students. Applications for Facebook pages became available in early 2007
and as of this mid-2010 writing, Facebook boasted 500 million active users.
Twitter's free mini-blogging service started posting its 140-character
missives in 2006.
In 2009, early rumblings from the next campaign season make it clear that
others have learned the lesson. The four major California gubernatorial
candidates at the earliest stages of campaigning were all actively involved
in social media. Representative Tom Campbell, congressman from the
Silicon Valley since 1988, is a veteran campaigner dating to the pre-Internet
era. Like most successful politicians in the late 20th Century, his war chest
focused on mass mailings, broadcast and print ads, and getting as many news
appearances and interviews as possible. Today, Campbell talks to supporters
through Twitter and Facebook, emails his constituents on issues of the day,
and writes hundreds of blo entries detailinghis daily life, and sharing
8 Y g
campaign stories and tidbits that help voters feel connected to him.
It is ironic that such unseen mass communications allow campaigns
a i ns
to bring voters an almost intimate sense of involvement with the issue,
campaign, or candidate. Further,that intimate connection is achieved
at far less cost than traditional methods of outreach. Clearly, there
remains a lace for the old strategies, but toda 's informational outreach
P g Y
effort must walk on both legs or risk stepping aside for campaigns that do. East Ba-yq)
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63
Political Consultants
Measure WW shines a spotlight on the difference professionalism can
make when an agency is serious about its role in presenting a ballot measure
and its outside campaign committee is serious about its role in selling it.
Working with the WW Campaign Committee were two political
consultants experienced in East Bay political campaigns and bringing
complementary skill sets to the effort.John Whitehurst's firm, Whitehurst/
Mosher Campaign Strategy, focused on political strategy, mass mailings,
and media outreach. Doug Linney specialized in environmental issues
and focused on field work—community outreach, stakeholder groups such
as various environmental organizations who follow Parks District issues,
etc. The partnership occasionally overlapped in approaching tasks but also
gave the campaign flexibility. For example,with two firms sharing the work,
the team had choices when the campaign confronted a stakeholder situation
in which one consultant had better connections or credibility with
that stakeholder group.
In separate interviews, Whitehurst and Linney echo virtually the same
themes when evaluating the Measure WW Campaign Committee and
the East Bay Regional Park District's approach to offering ballot measures.
"First, the District is experienced —they've done this a number of times,"
noted Linney. "Polling, writing language for a measure, packaging that
measure, communicating it to the public—they have developed a real
level of expertise over the years."
Linney emphasizes the long planning effort the District conducts as crucial
to success. "They go out there,they get the community's input and are
a familiar face at every city council, board, stakeholder group—whatever
it takes to make sure they are not vulnerable to small splinter groups that
if neglected can defeat a measure. And, as good as they are, they practice
constant improvement. This is especially true in Public Affairs, where
they've only gotten better each election I've experienced with them."
Whitehurst agreed. Both consultants stress that too many public agencies
neglect to build a culture of community relations and public outreach
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on an ongoing basis, banking instead on hopes that a short-term push into
the community in the months leading to election will build that"brand"
in the community and establish credibility. Where many cities, counties,
and districts may have one public information or community relations
East Bayo
professional or a staff member who carries the function, the Parks District
P g I o. .i; P a f 1, E, i I"t has for decades kept its commitment to public affairs through a diverse,
64
....... ....._ _
expert staff of professionals. Their
i
role is to connect the District
with the community it serves Tips and Guidelines
through myriad programs and
outreach efforts. Whitehurst Political consultants agree that a few traits
put it succinctly: characterize local agencies best positioned
to achieve passage of a ballot measure:
"In my opinion, the Parks I. They establish a culture of experienced
District's Public Affairs program professionals.A long-tenured staff and policy
is unrivaled in the region when board, unified behind the goals and the ballot
it comes to putting out quality, measure, are a mighty tool.
relevant, information to its public,
and doing it as many ways 2. They practice a continual and long-term
as it takes responsive commitment to public outreach, community
and build its brand." relations, media relations,and other public affairs
activities that"brand"the agency and constantly
Board Member Ted Radke cites connect it with the public.
this valuable asset as an insight 3. They consider an ongoing system for support and
he sought when serving on the fundraising.The East Bay Regional Park District
Campaign Committee's has a Foundation in place that can easily serve
subcommittee to select political a limited but important role as part of the
consultants. He recalls that during fundraising and campaign apparatus when an election
the interviews, only one political approaches.This network, as well as District
operative noted the District's officials,accept the cost of going forward to election
outstanding Public Affairs program in an urban county and commit to the effort.
and specific ways he would build 4. They use passion for the mission and the cause.
on its strengths when developing
This is aided by employees who are passionate
a strategy, rather than try
about their work for the District, and who
to replace it.
voluntarily step forward during off-duty times
Following are common failures or to provide expertise,time, and, sometimes,
problems political consultants their own money to the campaign.
report having encountered among S. They are able to anticipate and sense the needs
agencies that lose ballot measures: of leadership and the public, and are willing
v Failure to build widespread to work long and hard to prepare a ballot
support for the measure. It is Package that reflects those needs.
critical to bring your
policymakers, stakeholders,
and the community together
to create a high degree of consensus for the goal.
R�glon,lj Rlrl J�
65
Failure to accept that the staff work and preparation for a ballot
measure take money, just as the outside campaign does. "Merely
believing you are fighting for a just cause isn't good enough,
" Linney points out.
■ Failure to listen to research. The Park District takes polls and public
research seriously and views them as signposts from the people.
Failure to plan far ahead and/or failure to involve the public each step
of the way.
Going it alone— again, usually to save money. Ballot measures are very
specialized projects. Law, lack of experience, and lack of time all
conspire to stop agency staff from developing that specialized skill set.
L
66
East
Bay
Regional Park District
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1,. .
The
Intangibles
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This report has attempted to guide the reader through the nuts and bolts
of pursuing a local ballot measure. It explores the elements and actors
in an election effort, the costs, and the lessons learned by one district with
a strong track record for achieving voter support. What it can't do as easily
is provide an easy recipe that assesses the value or cost of intangible factors
that can greatly influence the outcome of an election. But we can note a few
that we recognize were either important parts of the community DNA
in which the District positioned Measure WW—or could have been
major obstacles to success. Some may affect your decisions and the
i
approach you take.
PP
Political Identity: There can be no argument that the East Bay region
of Northern California is a collection of communities of diverse political
identity, but that collectively, they comprise a region in which a progressive
populace is highly supportive of environmental causes. The region's very
political identity tends to support environmental preservation, open space,
and arks. It is art of the vision that inspired the District's formation
P P P
in 1934 by concerned area civic leaders, and a major factor that explains
why it has grown to become the nation's largest system of urban regional
parks. This political identity is obviously important to the support the j
District enjoys from its public. But it is also the District's track record
as stewards, managing this trust that continues to earn the public's
devotion to the regional parks.
Economy: It is the luck of the draw when a tax measure is placed on the
ballot and the economy plunges into deep recession one month prior to
Election Day. But that is what occurred just prior to the November 2008
general election. To a great extent the recession of 2008 fell under the
heading of"beyond our control." Nonetheless, the Campaign Committee,
staff, political leaders, and professionals quickly geared up to respond to
potential concern from the public and pundits that Measure WW suffered
from bad economic timing, elevating the themes of a"continuation without
increase in tax rate," and the increased importance of publicly accessible
recreation during economic downturns. The message harkening back to the
Great Depression was echoed countless times in the 2008 election period,
and provided the public with an important historical linkage to the
community's core values.
Es J�Bay�q)
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69
Organizational Culture: Man threads make u the fabric of this
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or anization's culture: longevity, experience, team character, quality control
staff morale, flexibility, and feeling of purpose. For example, the dedication
and longevity of the General Manager, staff, and even political leadership
within the East Bay Regional Park District exceed the norm in local
government, with the average tenure for staff hovering at about 20 years
and an elected Board that has seen only two turnovers in the past decade.
Further, the District recognizes it is blessed with a mission that engenders
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passion among staff and attracts employees specifically drawn to a career
working in parks or in park management. This is unusual in local government
agencies and difficult to replicate in cities or counties where the mission
is less focused, political viewpoints likely more diverse, and sometimes
careers are entered for convenience rather than a passion
for a particular public cause.
Political and Staff Leadership: In addition to the aspects addressed
above, political leadership at the East Bay Regional Park District is
characterized by a strong team identity and approach, despite very different
political perspectives and wards of representation. This is fostered in part
by the team character of staff, and the long tenure of general managers
at the District who work hard to encourage unity of purpose and principles
among the Board. Pat O'Brien had served as General Manager of the
District for 20 years as he led the staff work to plan Measure WW
Perhaps more importantly, he remembers what it was to be the new
General Manager when Measure AA was passed in 1988—a significant
background detail that helped inspire him to commission this report
on the process of developing and putting forth a strong ballot measure.
(Park District leadership is well aware that the baby-boomer retirement
era will cause the greatest degree of turnover the District has every
experienced and with it, the looming loss of institutional history.) This
is a factor that is unfolding in many public agencies grappling with a talent
drain that has been exacerbated by a wholesale funding crisis among local
government agencies, which has also led to layoffs and early retirements.
Experience: The District has appealed to voters 10 times over its 75-year-
history and has gained a great deal of institutional experience in posing local
ballot measures. This report was commissioned in part to pass that
experience and knowledge along to the next generation of District
leadership, as well as public agencies who may never have been
through the process of presenting a ballot measure.
East Bay
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i
Brand:This sometimes mysterious, abstract term is nonetheless crucial:
For what is your agency known? How does your public perceive you?What
consistent visual and emotional images do park users, taxpayers, civic
leaders, and others have of our agency
leaders, employees, interest group I s, y g y
and services? How cohesively have you portrayed your brand through
publications, advertising, public signage, informational materials, websites,
and virtually every reflection of your organization? If you do not know the
answer to this, it is time to start building a brand for yourself. It will take j
years to establish as a community identity, but it is a mighty weapon when
the time comes to ask voters for their support.
B e, -, ° _.. j d I I :31A IS,
No amount of detailed planning, analysis, and review can guarantee that
there will not be surprises after a ballot measure passes—especially those
dealing with huge sums of money that many different groups may turn
to for funding. In other words, you should not be surprised to find in the
years after passage that you had no idea just what you didn't anticipate
until it crops up. Measure WW and its predecessor, Measure AA, each
provide a case in point—one resulting in the evolution of a better
structure for distribution of the funds;the other concerning the unexpected
appearance of a"creative" strategy one local non-profit wanted to use
the funds to help finance a facility.
Example 1: Measure AA funded hundreds of worthy park and recreation
projects in dozens of communities over two decades.The crafters of AA
envisioned and drafted a logical approach to distributing the funds over
the ears approving distribution in phases that were tied to the schedule
Y PP g
like available. While it seems e
and ava ab e.at which the revenues were collected
a reasonable approach,the resulting flow sometimes left agencies with
shovel-ready projects delaying work for years while they waited for the next
phase of funding to be available based on revenue performance from AA.
Other cities and agencies found themselves accruing allocations long before
they had projects ready to construct.
East Bay Regional Park District staff drafting Measure WW, the extension
to AA, had lived through Measure AA's creation and 20 years of
implementation, and vowed to resolve this awkward situation with WW.
The solution was to create a master contract agreement with each East Bay
(p
participating locality that guarantees their total funding entitlement under e o,E fl Park District
i
71
which they can submit projects for approval each year up to the "credit
limit" established for them. With this knowledge in hand the District
can market an appropriately-sized bond issue to fund current project
applications as needed. The new system provides agencies with flexibility
while allowing the District to plan cash flow efficiently.
Example 2: While it was not uncommon for a participating city or agency
to apply for the local grant money for a project that involves a non-profit
as an operating partner, federal law places restrictions on non-agency
entities from certain "private business" uses of tax-exempt bonds. The
Secretary of State's certification stamp was barely dry on WW when one
city's Boys and Girls Club, with backing from the city's council, approached
the East Bay Regional Park District with a proposal to use WW funds
to build a new facility that would be owned by the Boys and Girls Club.
In the case of this example, the ownership of the asset involved had the
potential to trigger serious federal sanctions.
Since the District never encountered nor envisioned this specific application
for funding, the language of WW and the grant guidelines did not reference
such a request either to allow it or prohibit it. Financial, tax, and legal
experts were engaged in a complex investigation of the language and tax
laws to resolve the situation. To answer the question, the District clarified
the rant guidelines' language re regarding land tenure. The it followed u
g gg g ec Y P
by submitting the Boys and Girls Club facility for $1,000,000 of their
$3.4 million Measure WW local per capita allocation.
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Feat Bay
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72
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sW ,«,,.,s. snIsta,s ° .r1
ku
Measure WW Booklet and Appendices
Appendices
I. Initial Public Communications—Report on Prior Bond 11. Public information and Outreach Plan
Act Accomplishment, 1998 12. Public Outreach Meeting Agenda, 2008
2. Rationale for Extension of Bond Measure, 13. Public Outreach Presentations Staffing
Key Messages, 2007 Calendar—Sample, 2008
3. Reports on Prior Bond Act Accomplishments 14. Public Outreach Presentations—
4. Tracking Poll,June 2008 Final Summary,2008
5. Exit Poll, November 2008 15. Measure WW Public Information
b. Measure WW Project List, Board Material Brochure (mailer), 2008
7. Measure WW Project List, Board Resolution Ib. Measure WW Major Costs
Authorizing Acceptance (budget planner)
8. 2008 Election Gantt Chart(project management tool) 17. Sample Newsclips, Editorials,Articles,
9. County Elections Office Elections Timetable Columns,2007-2009
10. Official Measure WW Ballot Information 18. East Bay Regional ional Park District Ballot
from Voter's Pamphlet Measures Election Results, 1988-2008
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East B..q,.v, q)
Regional Park District
2950 Peralta Oaks Court
P.O. Box 5381
Oakland, CA 94605-0381
1-888-EBPARKS
www.ebparks.org
Regional Open Space
MIDPENINSULA REGIONAL OPEN SPACE DISTRICT
BOARD MEETING PROCEDURES
GOALS: To have effective Board meetings; to have a clear delineation between public input and Board
deliberation;to ensure effective use of time at Board meetings and to complete the District's
public business in a timely manner; to foster control of the appropriate procedures for Board
meetings,based on Robert's Rules of Order;to ensure public input in an orderly and
consistent manner;to ensure an appropriate level of decorum during meetings;to provide for
the clear recording and taking of minutes.
Procedures for A2enda Items:
During consideration of agenda items the following sequence is to be adhered to,unless specific
exceptions are agreed to by the Board:
1. Presentation on agenda item;
2. Board and staff members may ask questions for clarification, followed by preliminary Board
comments and discussion if any;
3. Public Comment period;
4. Board discussion and deliberations; additional comment from public only when requested by Board
members and directed through the presiding officer;
5. Board action on agenda item.
Public Comment/Oral Communications:
At beginning of each meeting,the President shall make a statement outlining the procedures for public
comment.
A member of the public may address the Board on an item not on the agenda under Oral
Communications. Each speaker will ordinarily be limited to 3 minutes. There shall be no action or
discussion on items not appearing on the agenda. However,Board members may briefly respond to
public questions,ask a question for clarification,refer the matter to staff,request staff to report back at a
future meeting as an informational report or place the matter on a future agenda.
Persons addressing the Board should be requested to state their name and address for the record.
Persons who are recognized should address the Board from the podium microphone prior to speaking,not
speak from their seats.
The person recognized by the President should address the Board,not staff members or other audience
members. There should not be a dialogue between audience members and staff,or between audience
members. Public comments and questions should be directed through the President.
Only one person at a time should address the Board; other audience members should wait to be
recognized before speaking. The President should discourage out-of-turn speaking by the public.
At the close of public comment,the President should indicate that the matter is now returned to the Board
for deliberation and decision.
330 Distel Circle * Los Altos,CA 94022-1404 • Phone:650-691-1200
Fax:650-691-0485 * E-mail:lnfo@openspace.org • Web site: www.openspace.org
Consent Calendar:
Board members,the General Manager,and members of the public may request that an item be removed
from the Consent Calendar during consideration of the Consent Calendar.
Board members may ask brief questions for clarification or make brief statements on an item without
removing it from the Consent Calendar.
Board members may vote"no"on Consent Calendar items without pulling them from the Consent
Calendar by asking that the minutes reflect a "no"vote on a specified agenda item.
Board Conduct/Deliberation:
The presiding officer should require individual Board and staff members to raise their hands to be
recognized.
The presiding officer will recognize Board and staff members by name and will identify the makers of
motions and seconds.
For each agenda item to be considered by the Board,the presiding officer shall provide a period of time
for public comment prior to any vote taken. After the public comment period had closed,the public shall
not interrupt the Board's deliberations, and only by vote of the presiding officer shall the Board accept
additional public comments or Board questions of the public.
Informational Reports:
Informational reports should be restricted to brief announcements or reports related to District business
and shall generally be no more than three minutes per person. There shall be no action or discussion
concerning Informational Reports.
Board members may refer a matter to staff,request staff to report back to the Board at a future meeting as
an informational report or place the matter on a future agenda.
Informational reports of a personal nature that are unrelated to District business should not be shared
during a public meeting.
g
Closed Sessions:
No person who attends a closed session shall disclose any statements,discussions,documents or votes made
in closed session except as specified,required b the Brown Act or where authorized b a majority of the
P P q Y � Y J Y
Board.
Board-Public Relations:
If a Board member represents the District before another agency or organization,the Board member shall
represent the majority position of the Board.
When contacting another agency or organization in a personal capacity,Board members should indicate
that his/her comments are given as an individual and not as an official representative of the District Board
of Directors.
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Midpeninsula Regional
' Open Space District
GUIDELINES FOR BOARD-STAFF WORKING RELATIONSHIPS
Accepted by Board of Directors
November 20, 1991
Amended April 9, 1992
Amended January 11, 1993
Amended August 26, 1993
Amended February 14, 1996
Reaffirmed April 9, 1997
Reaffirmed January 28, 1998
Amended October 25, 2004
Amended January 28, 2009
A. General
r for information. If information request t
1. Board members may o to an staff member o o
Yg Y q
requires more than minimal staff time, the request should be made to the General
II
Manager or Department Manager who shall confer with the General Manager.
! 2. Board members are encouraged to give staff sufficient lead time to fulfill Board
requests and to put important requests in writing.
3. Information(except trail conditions)provided from a Board member to staff should
be routed through individual Department Managers or the General Manager.
4. If an individual Board member suggests that staff time be spent on a project not
previously approved by the Board,he/she will contact the General Manager. The
General Manager will then make an initial assessment of the project, evaluating its
consistency with established goals and policies, effects on other projects, and
availability of staff and financial resources. The General Manager will then
communicate the information to the Board and obtain Board approval prior to
j proceeding with more in-depth assessment or proceeding with the project.
5. Management reports and recommendations to the Board should present areas of
potential controversy and concern.
i I
6. Board members and management will endeavor not to surprise each other with
important information; if a Board member wants additional information or
iencouraged to contact the
documentation on an agenda item the Board member s
+I
g
General Manager before the Board meeting.
R-09-08 Page 2 of 2
7. Staff will actively support and implement Board decisions.
8. The administration of the District is the responsibility of the General Manager. The
General Manager will advise Board members when he/she feels that any Board
member is attempting to direct the administration of the District.
9. Any Board member will advise the General Manager when he/she feels staff is
attempting to direct or set Board policy.
10. Management team and the Board will set a positive example of Board-staff relations for
public and staff.
11. Board members and staff will respect each other's personal time.
12. Board members may serve in District volunteer programs under the same terms and
conditions as any member of the volunteering public. When volunteering, they agree
to conduct themselves as would any other member of the volunteering public. They
will accept all direction from staff members organizing the volunteer activity. Staff
conducting volunteer activities will treat Board members as they would any other
volunteer, and will bring any difficulties to the Department Manager or General
Manager for resolution.
B. Public-Related
1. Board members will refrain from publicly reproving staff members. Any concerns
about employee performance should be discussed privately with the General
Manager.
2. The Board shall not prohibit public criticism of its policies, procedures, programs or
services,but shall request members of the public to refrain from personal attacks
upon individual staff members.
II
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Guidelines for Board-Staff Working Relationships Page 2
Midpeninsula Regional
' Open Space District
Meeting 12-12
SPECIAL AND REGULAR MEETING
BOARD OF DIRECTORS b
MIDPENINSULA REGIONAL OPEN SPACE DISTRICT
Administrative Office
330 Distel Circle
Los Altos,California 94022
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
SPECIAL MEETING OF THE MIDPENINSULA REGIONAL OPEN SPACE DISTRICT BEGINS AT 5:00 P.M.*
REGULAR MEETING OF THE MIDPENINSULA REGIONAL OPEN SPACE DISTRICT BEGINS AT 7:00 P.M.*
AGENDA
SPECIAL MEETING
5:00 SPECIAL MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE MIDPENINSULA REGIONAL OPEN SPACE DISTRICT—
CLOSED SESSION
ROLL CALL
1. CONFERENCE WITH LABOR NEGOTIATORS--Government Code Section 54957.6
Agency designated representatives: Deborah Glasser-Kolly, Kate Drayson,David Sanguinetti,
Annetta Spiegel
Employee Organization: Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District Field Employees' Association
7:00 ADJOURNMENT
REGULAR MEETING
7:00 REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE MIDPENINSULA REGIONAL OPEN SPACE DISTRICT—
PUBLIC SESSION
ROLL CALL
REPORT ON RETURN FROM CLOSED SESSION(IF NECESSARY)(The Board shall publicly state any reportable action
taken in Closed Session pursuant to Government Code Section 54957.1)
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS—PUBLIC
ADOPTION OF AGENDA
7:05 CONSENT CALENDAR
1. Approve Minutes of the Regular and Special Board Meetings—March 28,2012
2. Approve Revised Claims Report
3. Approve Written Communications—None
7:10 BOARD BUSINESS
4. Study Session: Discussion of Background Materials Related to the Strategic Plan and Upcoming Vision Plan
in Preparation for the Board Retreat Scheduled on April 27, 2012—Board President
INFORMATIONAL REPORTS—Reports on compensable meetings attended.Brief reports or announcements concerning
activities of District Directors and staff;opportunity to refer public or Board questions to staff for factual
information; request staff to report back to the Board on a matter at a future meeting;or direct staff to place a matter
on a future agenda.
A. Committee Reports
B. Staff Reports
C. Director Reports
ADJOURNMENT
*Times are estimated and items may appear earlier or later than listed.Agenda is subject to change of order.
TO ADDRESS THE BOARD: The Chair will invite public comment on agenda items at the time each item is considered by the Board of
Directors. You may address the Board concerning other matters during Oral Communications. Each speaker will ordinarily be limited
to three minutes.Alternately,you may comment to the Board by a written communication, which the Board appreciates.
Consent Calendar:All items on the Consent Calendar may be approved without discussion by one motion.Board members, the General
Manager,and members of the public may request that an item be removed from the Consent Calendar during consideration of the
Consent Calendar.
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act,if you need assistance to participate in this meeting,please contact the District Clerk at(650)691-I200.
Notification 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the District to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting.
Written materials relating to an item on this Agenda that are considered to be a public record and are distributed to Board members less than 72 hours prior to the
meeting,will be available for public inspection at the District's Administrative Office located at 330 Distel Circle,Los Altos,California 94022.
CLRTIFICATION OF POSTING OF AC.ENDA
1,Michelle Radcliffe,District Clerk for the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District(MROSD),declare that the foregoing agenda for the Special and Regular
Meeting of the MROSD Board of Directors Authority was posted and available for review on April 20,2012,at the Administrative Offices of MROSD,330 Distel
Circle,Los Altos California,94022. The agenda is also available on the District's web site at httwHwww.o1)ensspace.org.
Signed this 20t°day of April,at Los Altos,California.
District Clerk April 20,2012
Claims No. 12-08
Meeting 12-12
Date 4/25/12
Revised
Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District
# Amount Name Description
17521 $33,815.00 Ascent Environmental Environmental Consulting Services For Weed Projects
17522 $27,856.00 Ascent Environmental Environmental Documentation For La Honda Master Plan
17523 $27,374.27 Biosearch Associates Biological Surveys For Mindego Gateway Project
17524 $16,100.00 Mark Hylkema Archaeological Survey Of Mindego Ranch&Russian Ridge
17525 $13,708.78 Schafer Consulting Consulting Services-Integrated Accounting&Financial Software
Selection, Evaluation&Implementation
17526 $10,000.00 *1 Old Republic Title Company Purchase Option&Deposit-Gallaway Property
17527 $9,450.00 Tour-Mate Systems Canada Audio Tour Equipment/Production Services For Translation To
Other Languages For Alpine Pond Nature Tour
17528 $4,566.09 Crystal Springs Painting Company Prepare&Paint Exterior At Rental Residence
17529 $4,088.00 Ascent Environmental CEQA/NEPA Document Preparation&Support For Mt.
Umunhum Site Planning
17530 $3,908.77 Geocon Consultants Environmental&Geotechnical Consulting Services For Mindego
Ranch Landfill
17531 $3,353.10 HB Company Chainsaw Training For Maintenance Staff
17532 $2,830.00 Urban Tree Management Tree Maintenance&Trimming At Fremont Older Staging Area
17533 $2,541.83 Accountemps Accounting Temp
17534 $2,167.02 Big Creek Lumber Lumber&T-Posts For Fencing-SFO Stock
17535 $1,859.95 Stevens Creek Quarry Base Rock For FFO Parking Lot/Rock For Driveways&Trails
17536 $1,673.65 Rich Voss Trucking Rock Delivery For Various Roads,Trails, Parking Lots&FFO
17537 $1,614.00 Pouncing Pachyderm Productions Supplies&Equipment For Audio Tours-Daniels Nature Center
And Surrounding Trails
17538 $1,548.25 Jakaby Engineering Structural Engineering Services For Fremont Older Rental
Residence
17539 $1,260.96 John Northmore Roberts&Associates Consulting Services For Design&Construction Documents-
Mindego Gateway Staging Area
17540 $1,000.00 California Pension Group Legislative Consultants To Provide Pension Reform Information
17541 $1,000.00 Neofunds By Neopost Replenish Postage Meter-AO
17542 $925.95 Simms Plumbing&Water Equipment Quarterly Water System Maintenance&Replacement Water
Heater-Rental Residences
17543 $865.00 Geocon Consultants Topographic Survey&Geotechnical Investigation-Proposed
Staging Area At Bald Mtn. For Mt.Umunhum Project
17544 $801.06 Hertz Equipment Rental Equipment Rental-Roller Rental For Work At FFO Parking Area
17545 $800.00 Laustsen,Gretchen Reimbursement-Tuition
17546 $782.66 Mission Valley Ford Vehicle Maintenance&Repairs
17547 $575.00 County Of San Mateo Information Rent For Radio Repeater At Pise Peak
Services Department
17548 $567,50 Stanton, Elisa Reimbursement-EMT Recertification Fee
17549 $555.84 Life Assist First Aid Supplies
17550 $540.00 Restoration Design Group Site Planning Services For Mt. Umunhum
17551 $539.78 The Sign Shop Custom Signs For RSA County Park
17552 $493.54 West Payment Center Monthly Subscription For Online Legal Information
17553 $401.93 Sunnyvale Ford Patrol Truck Radio Repair
17554 $368.18 CMK Automotive Vehicle Maintenance&Repairs
17555 $356.40 Ergovera Ergonomic Evaluation&Report
17556 $345.83 Metro Mobile Communications Repair Portable Radio/Installation Of Radio In Utility Vehicle
17557 $337.50 Shelterbelt Builders Consulting Services-Pest Control Recommendations
17558 $305.14 Congdon,Bunny Lodging&Mileage-Accounting Department Support
17559 $300.77 Fitzsimons,Renee Reimbursement-Nature Center Opening Day Refreshments/
Taxidermy Services For Nature Center/Interpretation Resource
Books
17560 $300.00 Butano Geotechnical Engineering Geotech Testing&Report For Mindego Gateway Project
17561 $256.50 ADT Security Services Alarm Service-SFO
Page t of 3
Claims No. 12-08
Meeting 12-12
Date 4/25/12
Revised
Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District
# Amount Name Description
17562 $225.49 California Water Service Company Water Service-FFO
17563 $220.61 Beckman,Craig Reimbursement-Supplies For Repairs At Rental Residence
17564 $190.54 Green Waste Garbage Service-SFO
17565 $153.00 Palo Alto Medical Foundation Employee Medical Services
17566 $142.35 Foster Brothers Keys For New Water Truck/Thirty Keys For Gate At Sierra Azul
17567 $130.47 Sterzl,Owen Reimbursement-Computer Supplies
17568 $120.00 Greenlnfo Network Preserve Finder Upgrades
17569 $117.99 Summit Uniforms Uniform Expenses
17570 $115.00 Gou,Vicky Reimbursement-Photo Contest Prizes
17571 $112.89 Downing,Brendan Reimbursement-Cell Phone
17572 $110.31 Mission Trail Waste Systems Garbage Service-AO
17573 $95.00 Sol's Mobile Service Vehicle Maintenance&Repairs
17574 $93.25 ID Plus Name Tags For Staff
17575 $83.06 United Site Services Sanitation Services-For Wingding Family Festival Event
17576 $80.00 R.H.F. Recertification For Radar Unit
17577 7 Pacific Telemana ement Services Pa Phone-Black Mountain
8 00 ac c ce t
$ 9 Y
17578 $66.03 Carpenter Rigging Of San Jose Tow Chain For Water Truck
17579 $39.29 Grainger Replacement Filter&Housing For FFO Compressor
17580 $37.50 Paterson,Loro Reimbursement-Park Rangers Association Of California
Membership
17581 $31.36 O'Reilly Auto Parts Wiper Blades
17582 $26.25 Rayne Of San Jose Water Service-Fremont Older
17583 $24.02 Gibbons,Stephen Reimbursement-Parts For Patrol Bicycle
17584 $19.65 United Parcel Service Parcel Shipping
17585 R $12,954.21 County Of Santa Clara Park& District's Share Of Consultant Services To Develop Guadalupe
Recreation Department River Watershed Mercury TMDL Coordinated Monitoring Plan
17586 R $12,636.09 ERM-West Consulting Services-Investigate Source And Characterize
Contamination At Bear Creek Redwoods
17587 R $4,950.00 Tanner Consulting Group Golf Ball Trajectory Study At Fremont Older
17588 R $3,172.50 Timothy C.Best,CEG Mindego Hill Trail Plan Preparation&Revisions For San Mateo
County Permitting
17589 R $3,055.30 Group Delphi New Sign Boards For Cooley Landing
17590 R $2,680.38 Office Depot Office Supplies/Calendars/Color Copy Paper/Hanging Folders
/Envelopes/First Aid Supplies/Shredding Services/Waste
Baskets/Chair Mats/SD Card For Patrol GPS Unit/Docent&
Volunteer Training Supplies/Sheet Protectors/Check Book
Binder
17591 R $2,400.22 Stevens Creek Quarry Rock For Parking Lots, Roads,Driveways&Various Trails
17592 R $1,125.96 Lab Safety Supply Field Supplies For FFO/Safety Signs For SFO Shop/Gloves
17593 R $520.00 Cupertino Medical Group Employee Medical Services
17594 R $415.74 R.E. Borrmann's Steel Company Fence&Gate Materials For Mindego Ranch At Russian Ridge
17595 R $371.44 Lenington,Kirk Reimbursement-Cell Phone&Mileage
17596 R $324.73 Staples Chair Mats
17597 R $250.00 PG&E New PG&E Meter At Folger House
17598 R $240,00 Abbors,Stephen E. Reimbursement-Cell Phone
17599 R $189.29 California Water Service Company Water Service-AO
17600 R $187.17 Forestry Suppliers Field Supplies-Skidding Cone
17601 R $178.61 Patsons Media Group Printing Services-La Honda Master Plan
17602 R $173.20 Sanguinetti,David Reimbursement-Uniform Expense
17603 R $83.00 Laustsen,Gretchen Reimbursement-Permit Fees For Mindego Hill Trail At Russian
Ridge
17604 R $57.96 Reed,Steve Reimbursement-Uniform Expense
Page 2of3
J
Claims No. 12-08
Meeting 12-12
Date 4/25/12
Revised
Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District
# Amount Name Description
17605 R $40.72 McKowan, Paul Reimbursement-Volunteer Supplies
17606 R $25.00 County Of San Mateo Public Health Tick Testing
Lab
17607 R $12.97 O'Reilly Auto Parts Vehicle Supplies
Total $230,490.80
*1 Urgent check issued 4/17/12
I
Page 3 of 3 ''.......
l
Claims No. 12-08
Meeting 12-12
Date 4/25/12
Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District
# Amount Name Description
17521 $33,815.00 Ascent Environmental Environmental Consulting Services For Weed Projects
17522 $27,856.00 Ascent Environmental Environmental Documentation For La Honda Master Plan
17523 $27,374.27 Biosearch Associates Biological Surveys For Mindego Gateway Project
17524 $16,100.00 Mark Hylkema Archaeological Survey Of Mindego Ranch&Russian Ridge
17525 $13,708.78 Schafer Consulting Consulting Services-Integrated Accounting&Financial Software
Selection,Evaluation&Implementation
17526 $10,000.00 '1 Old Republic Title Company Purchase Option&Deposit-Gallaway Property
17527 $9,450.00 Tour-Mate Systems Canada Audio Tour Equipment/Production Services For Translation To
Other Languages For Alpine Pond Nature Tour
17528 $4,566.09 Crystal Springs Painting Company Prepare&Paint Exterior At Rental Residence
17529 $4,088.00 Ascent Environmental CEQA/NEPA Document Preparation&Support For Mt.
Umunhum Site Planning
17530 $3,908.77 Geocon Consultants Environmental&Geotechnical Consulting Services For Mindego
Ranch Landfill
17531 $3,353.10 HB Company Chainsaw Training For Maintenance Staff
17532 $2,830.00 Urban Tree Management Tree Maintenance&Trimming At Fremont Older Staging Area
17533 $2,541.83 Accountemps Accounting Temp
17534 $2,167.02 Big Creek Lumber Lumber&T-Posts For Fencing-SFO Stock
17535 $1,859.95 Stevens Creek Quarry Base Rock For FFO Parking Lot/Rock For Driveways&Trails
17536 $1,673.65 Rich Voss Trucking Rock Delivery For Various Roads,Trails,Parking Lots&FFO
17537 $1,614.00 Pouncing Pachyderm Productions Supplies&Equipment For Audio Tours-Daniels Nature Center
And Surrounding Trails
17538 $1,548.25 Jakaby Engineering Structural Engineering Services For Fremont Older Rental
Residence
17539 $1,260.96 John Northmore Roberts&Associates Consulting Services For Design&Construction Documents-
Mindego Gateway Staging Area
17540 $1,000.00 California Pension Group Legislative Consultants To Provide Pension Reform Information
17541 $1,000.00 Neofunds By Neopost Replenish Postage Meter-AO
17542 $925.95 Simms Plumbing&Water Equipment Quarterly Water System Maintenance&Replacement Water
Heater-Rental Residences
17543 $865.00 Geocon Consultants Topographic Survey&Geotechnical Investigation-Proposed
Staging Area At Bald Mtn. For Mt.Umunhum Project
17544 $801.06 Hertz Equipment Rental Equipment Rental-Roller Rental For Work At FFO Parking Area
17545 $800.00 Laustsen,Gretchen Reimbursement-Tuition
17546 $782.66 Mission Valley Ford Vehicle Maintenance&Repairs
17547 $575,00 County Of San Mateo Information Rent For Radio Repeater At Pise Peak
Services Department
17548 $567.50 Stanton, Elisa Reimbursement-EMT Recertification Fee
17549 $555.84 Life Assist First Aid Supplies
17550 $540.00 Restoration Design Group Site Planning Services For Mt.Umunhum
17551 $539.78 The Sign Shop Custom Signs For RSA County Park
17552 $493.54 West Payment Center Monthly Subscription For Online Legal Information
17553 $401.93 Sunnyvale Ford Patrol Truck Radio Repair
17554 $368.18 CMK Automotive Vehicle Maintenance&Repairs
17555 $356.40 Ergovera Ergonomic Evaluation&Report
17556 $345.83 Metro Mobile Communications Repair Portable Radio/Installation Of Radio In Utility Vehicle
17557 $337.50 Shelterbelt Builders Consulting Services-Pest Control Recommendations
17558 $305.14 Congdon, Bunny Lodging&Mileage-Accounting Department Support
17559 $300.77 Fitzsimons,Renee Reimbursement-Nature Center Opening Day Refreshments/
Taxidermy Services For Nature Center/Interpretation Resource
Books
17560 $300.00 Butano Geotechnical Engineering Geotech Testing&Report For Mindego Gateway Project
17561 $256.50 ADT Security Services Alarm Service-SFO
Page 1 of 2
r
Claims No. 12-08
Meeting 12-12
Date 4/25/12
Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District
# Amount Name Description
17562 $225.49 California Water Service Company Water Service-FFO
17563 $220.61 Beckman,Craig Reimbursement-Supplies For Repairs At Rental Residence
17564 $190.54 Green Waste Garbage Service-SFO
17565 $153.00 Palo Alto Medical Foundation Employee Medical Services
17566 $142.35 Foster Brothers Keys For New Water Truck/Thirty Keys For Gate At Sierra Azul
17567 $130.47 Sterzl,Owen Reimbursement-Computer Supplies
17568 $120.00 Greenlnfo Network Preserve Finder Upgrades
17569 $117.99 Summit Uniforms Uniform Expenses
17570 $115.00 Gou,Vicky Reimbursement-Photo Contest Prizes
17571 $112.89 Downing,Brendan Reimbursement-Cell Phone
17572 $110.31 Mission Trail Waste Systems Garbage Service-AO
17573 $95.00 Sol's Mobile Service Vehicle Maintenance&Repairs
17574 $93.25 ID Plus Name Tags For Staff
17575 $83.06 United Site Services Sanitation Services-For Wingding Family Festival Event
17576 $80.00 R.H.F. Recertification For Radar Unit
17577 $78.00 Pacific Telemanagement Services Pay Phone-Black Mountain
17578 $66.03 Carpenter Rigging Of San Jose Chain For New Water Truck
17579 $39.29 Grainger Replacement Filter&Housing For FFO Compressor
17580 $37.50 Paterson,Toro Reimbursement-Park Rangers Association Of California
Membership
17581 $31.36 O'Reilly Auto Parts Wiper Blades
17582 $26.25 Rayne Of San Jose Water Service-Fremont Older
17583 $24.02 Gibbons,Stephen Reimbursement-Parts For Patrol Bicycle
17584 $19.65 United Parcel Service Parcel Shipping
Total $184,446.31
"1 Urgent check issued 4/17/12
Page 2 of 2
r
i
i
Midpeninsula Regional
Open Space District
I
I
To: Board of Directors
I I
From: Stephen E. Abbor
Date: April 20 2012
Re: FYIs
i
i
t
Mid
Open Space(Dist get nal Memorandum
DATE: April 17, 2012
MEMO TO: Board of Directors
THROUGH: Stephen E. Abbors, General Manager
FROM: Kate Drayson, Administrative Services Manager
SUBJECT: Integrated Accounting and Finance System Update
Attached is the 2012 First Quarter Status Report for the Integrated Accounting and Finance System
project. The project is currently on schedule to meet the Core Financials Go-Live date of July 5, 2012 and
the HR/Payroll Go-Live date of January 7, 2013. In preparation for the Core Financials Go-Live, staff
will participate in End User Training the first two weeks in June.
�I
QUARTERLY STATUS REPORT
PROJECT NAME: IAFS Project
For the Month of: Q1, 2012 Date: 4/1/12
Submitted by: Kate Drayson
ACCOMPLISHMENTSKEY PERIOD):
• Financial Management Training week of 1/23/12 - Financial review and setup sessions
were held throughout the District to accomplish finalization of Project entry. To date all
projects have been entered into the system and finalized.
• General Ledger and Vendor Conversions - Both conversions have been submitted on
schedule. The data has been sent by MROSD and Schafer Consulting and reviewed by
New World. All conversions are on schedule with minimal error checklists being sent
back to the District.
• New World completed the customization for the Bank Reconciliation module to address
the incompatibility with the Wells Fargo report format.
The timeline for the HR/Payroll Employee conversion schedule has been reviewed and
approved/finalized by the District and by New World.
• The Miscellaneous Billing (Accounts Receivable) module has been formulated to work
in conjunction with Revenue Collections to streamline the Districts Grant and Rent
Revenue receivables. Departments that will utilize Miscellaneous Billing for this added
feature have been identified.
• The District has determined how it will utilize the software system to track both the !
Adopted Budget and the Mid-year Budget.
• Formulation of District specific training documents for End User Training.
PROGRESS:ITEMS IN
Custom Accounts Payable Check.
Completion of Contract Entry into New World for the District's use.
• Extraction of ADP Payroll employee data for submission to New World for the Payroll
Employee Conversion slated for delivery 8/24/12
• Employee signup for End User Training classes
UPCOMING ACTIVITIES:
• New World will be on-site the weeks of June 4th and June 11th for End User Training
on applications in the financial management package. New World will provide a
system overview and train staff on the different applications while the Users log into the
system and follow along. These sessions will train employees in the use of New World
software to perform their job functions. This training will also identify any gaps in
security, or process, which will allow for correction before Go-Live.
I
• The current accounting software, Fundware, will be frozen June 29 and the data will be
migrated into the New World system July 2 and 3 and will Go-Live on July 5. Between
June 29 and July 5, no accounting transactions will be processed. Any accounting
activity occurring during this time will be entered into New World after Go-Live.
CHANGES TO SCHEDULE(INCLUDING SLIPPAGE):
• None
CHANGES TO • •
• None
DESCRIPTION MITIGATION
The End User Training schedule has been
completed and will be sent out to the
Department Managers who will determine
Employees will not be able to attend End which Employees should attend. Multiple
User training classes. sessions of each module are also being
offered for schedule conflicts, as well as
early dissemination of the schedule allows
for employees to plan their attendance.
All security items not yet completed have
Contract Security and other miscellaneous been notated and assigned for
securities will not be finalized by End user completion. Bi-weekly meetings will
Training. address these notated items and track
their completion in the Project Workbook
The District will hire an accountant from a
temporary agency to cover the duties of
the Accountant position, until the position
The District's Accountant position is is permanently filled and, if possible,
vacant. This position will be a key user assist with system implementation. The
and expert of the system. Administrative Services Manager and the
Accounting Technician will train on all
accounting modules and the departmental
representatives will train to be subject
matter experts on various modules.
II
I
' IMid enin I p su a Regional
Open Space District
To: Board of Directors
From: Stephen E p E. Abbors
Date: April 20 2012
I
Re: FYIs
i
Open
Regional
Oen Sp
0 en Space District Memorandum
r �
DATE: April 17, 2012
MEMO TO: Board of Directors
THROUGH: Stephen E. Abbors, General Manager
FROM: Kate Drayson, Administrative Services Manager
SUBJECT: Integrated Accounting and Finance System Update
Attached is the 2012 First Quarter Status Report for the Integrated Accounting and Finance System
project. The project is currently on schedule to meet the Core Financials Go-Live date of July 5, 2012 and
the FIR/Payroll Go-Live date of January 7, 2013. In preparation for the Core Financials Go-Live, staff
will participate in End User Training the first two weeks in June.
i
QUARTERLY STATUS REPORT
y ;r sm' " '
a
�5� a, �.�5 r,t",
For the'Month of Q1, 2012 Date 4/1/12
Submitted by: Kate Drayson
ACCOMPLISHMENTSKEY •D
• Financial Management Training week of 1/23/12 - Financial review and setup sessions
were held throughout the District to accomplish finalization of Project entry. To date all
projects have been entered into the system and finalized.
• General Ledger and Vendor Conversions - Both conversions have been submitted on
schedule. The data has been sent by MROSD and Schafer Consulting and reviewed by
New World. All conversions are on schedule with minimal error checklists being sent
back to the District.
• New World completed the customization for the Bank Reconciliation module to address
the incompatibility with the Wells Fargo report format.
• The timeline for the HR/Payroll Employee conversion schedule has been reviewed and
approved/finalized by the District and by New World.
The Miscellaneous Billing (Accounts Receivable) module has been formulated to work
in conjunction with Revenue Collections to streamline the Districts Grant and Rent
Revenue receivables. Departments that will utilize Miscellaneous Billing for this added
feature have been identified.
• The District has determined how it will utilize the software system to track both the
Adopted Budget and the Mid-year Budget.
• Formulation of District specific training documents for End User Training.
PROGRESS:ITEMS IN
• Custom Accounts Payable Check.
• Completion of Contract Entry into New World for the District's use.
• Extraction of ADP Payroll employee data for submission to New World for the Payroll
Employee Conversion slated for delivery 8/24/12
• Employee signup for End User Training classes
UPCOMING
• New World will be on-site the weeks of June 4th and June 11th for End User Training
on applications in the financial management package. New World will provide a
system overview and train staff on the different applications while the Users log into the
system and follow along. These sessions will train employees in the use of New World
software to perform their job functions. This training will also identify any gaps in
security, or process, which will allow for correction before Go-Live.
• The current accounting software, Fundware, will be frozen June 29 and the data will be
migrated into the New World system July 2 and 3 and will Go-Live on July 5. Between
June 29 and July 5, no accounting transactions will be processed. Any accounting
activity occurring during this time will be entered into New World after Go-Live.
CHANGES TO SCHEDULE(INCLUDING
• None
CHANGES TO BUDGET/SCOPE:
• None
rs 7t 7 r a }� ate'„{` Y7 .fiw' .ray r.v rxp
QESCRIPT�CJN t fl I"1TI(7N'
The End User Training schedule has been
completed and will be sent out to the
Department Managers who will determine
Employees will not be able to attend End which Employees should attend. Multiple
User training classes. sessions of each module are also being
offered for schedule conflicts, as well as
early dissemination of the schedule allows
for employees to plan their attendance.
All security items not yet completed have
Contract Security and other miscellaneous been notated and assigned for
securities will not be finalized by End user completion. Bi-weekly meetings will
Training. address these notated items and track
their completion in the Project Workbook
The District will hire an accountant from a
temporary agency to cover the duties of
the Accountant position, until the position
The Districts Accountant position is is permanently filled and, if possible,
vacant. This position will be a key user assist with system implementation. The
and expert of the system. Administrative Services Manager and the
Accounting Technician will train on all
accounting modules and the departmental
representatives will train to be subject
matter experts on various modules.
GENERAL MANAGER
Stephen E.Abbors
Regional
0penSpace Mldpenlnsula Regional Open Space District BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Pete Siemens
Yoriko Kishimoto
Jed Cyr
Curt Riffle
Nonette Hanko
Larry Hassett
Cechy Harris
The Honorable Joe Simitian
Chair, Senate Budget Subcommittee No. 2
State Capitol Room 2080
Sacramento, CA 95814
April 18, 2012
RE: Cap-and-trade investments in agriculture
Dear Chairman Simitian:
We write in support of your efforts to invest cap-and-trade fee revenue in activities that help
meet the objectives of AB 32. Related to those efforts, we strongly support investing a portion
of the fee revenues in agricultural activities that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Such
investments in our communities can create jobs and spur innovation.
With the Air Resources Board moving forward with the first auction of allowances in the fall of
2012, the Legislature must appropriate auction revenues. It is crucial that discussions continue to
determine how best to invest these funds to meet the goals of AB 32 and to provide the greatest
economic benefits. We are willing and eager to participate in the ongoing discussions about how
best to allocate these resources.
The Governor's budget and the Assembly Speaker's bill, AB 1532, outline cap-and-trade fee
funding areas, including funding to "reduce (GHG) emissions associated with water use and
supply, land and natural resource conservation and management, and sustainable agriculture."
We strongly encourage you to include in any appropriation a portion of the funds to agriculture
in the first years of the program. A delay will mean lost opportunities to achieve GHG emission
reductions in the food and farm sector.
Potential GHG emission reductions in agriculture are substantial. Between the development of
innovative renewable energy, energy efficiency measures, on-farm conservation measures that
reduce fossil fuel inputs and sequester carbon and the preservation of farmland that limits
transportation emissions, agriculture can meaningfully reduce its greenhouse gas emissions while
providing additional environmental and health benefits. Two advisory committees to the
California Air Resources Board found that California agriculture can reduce its emissions
between 31 and 57 percent of total industry emissions.
z•:
3
`aE y
33o Distel Circle Los Altos,CA 94022 650.691.1200 650 691.048S www openspace org �
The climate solutions that California agriculture has to offer can be realized with investments
that overcome barriers for innovative producers who achieve real GHG emission reductions. The
sooner this potential is recognized and unleashed, the greater the ability of the state's agricultural
sector to provide needed climate solutions.
We strongly encourage you to include AB 32 investments in agriculture in the first year of the
program.
Sincerely,
Stephen E. Abbors
General Manager
cc: Ralph Heim, Public Policy Advocates
MROSD Board of Directors
......... ..
GENERAL MANAGER
Stephen E.Abbors
Regional
0penSpace Mldpenlnsula Regional Open Space District BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Pete Siemens
Yorlko Kishimoto
Jed Cyr
Curt Riffle
Nonette Hanko
Larry Hassett
Cecily Harris
The Honorable Richard Gordon
Chair, Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 3
State Capitol, Room 5175
Sacramento, CA 94249
April 18, 2012
RE: Cap-and-trade investments in agriculture
Dear Chairman Gordon:
We write in support of your efforts to invest cap-and-trade fee revenue in activities that help
meet the objectives of AB 32. Related to those efforts, we strongly support investing a portion
of the fee revenues in agricultural activities that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Such
investments in our communities can create jobs and spur innovation.
With the Air Resources Board moving forward with the first auction of allowances in the fall of
2012 the Legislature must appropriate aucti n go revenues. It is crucial that discussions continue to
determine how best to invest these funds to meet the goals of AB 32 and to provide the greatest
economic benefits. We are willing and eager to participate in the ongoing discussions about how
best to allocate these resources.
The Governor's budget and the Assembly Speaker's bill, AB 1532, outline cap-and-trade fee
funding areas, including funding to "reduce (GHG) emissions associated with water use and
supply, land and natural resource conservation and management, and sustainable agriculture."
We strongly encourage you to include in any appropriation a portion of the funds to agriculture
in the first years of the program. A delay will mean lost opportunities to achieve GHG emission
reductions in the food and farm sector.
Potential GHG emission reductions in agriculture are substantial. Between the development of
innovative renewable energy, energy efficiency measures, on-farm conservation measures that
reduce fossil fuel inputs and sequester carbon and the preservation of farmland that limits
transportation emissions, agriculture can meaningfully reduce its greenhouse gas emissions while
providing additional environmental and health benefits. Two advisory committees to the
California Air Resources Board found that California agriculture can reduce its emissions
between 31 and 57 percent of total industry emissions.
d�
;J
I
330 Distei Circle Los Altos,CA 94022 6So 691.1200 6So 69a.048S www openspace.org
The climate solutions that California agriculture has to offer can be realized with investments
that overcome barriers for innovative producers who achieve real GHG emission reductions. The
sooner this potential is recognized and unleashed, the greater the ability of the state's agricultural
sector to provide needed climate solutions.
We strongly encourage you to include AB 32 investments in agriculture in the first year of the
program.
Sincerely,
G.�e2"A--
Stephen E. Abbors
General Manager
cc: Ralph Heim, Public Policy Advocates
MROSD Board of Directors
a
Midpeninsula Regional
' Open Space District
To: Board of Directors
From: Stephen E. Abbors
Date: April 25, 2012
Re: Late FYIs
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GENERAL MANAGER
Stephen E Abbors
Regional
0penSpace Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Pete Siemens
Yoriko Kishimoto
;ea Cyr
Cu,t Riffle
Nwette Hanko
-arry Hasseu
Cechy Harris
April 23, 2012
I
Honorable Mary Hayashi, Chair
Assembly Committee on Business,
Professions and Consumer Protection
State Capitol, Room 3013
Sacramento, CA 95814
Subject: AB 2388 (Beall)
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Dear Chair Hayashi:
The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District strongly supports AB 2388 which would
assist the Santa Clara County
Open Space Authority(OSA) in preserving vital open
space lands by allowing it to use its time, revenue and staff resources much more
efficiently and in a manner that is entirely consistent with the best practices of other open
space districts in California.
The OSA was created by the Legislature in 1993, at the behest of the community, in order
to preserve key portions of Santa Clara County's natural environment. At that time, PRC
Section 35159 required bidding on all contracts above $10,000. Other open space
districts in California and the Bay Area, however, have a $25,000 threshold for bidding.
AB 2388 amends PRC Section 35159 by raising the threshold for requiring bidding and
Board approval of the lowest responsible bidder from $10,000 to $25,000.
In addition, PRC 35159 requires that the OSA adhere to lowest responsible bidding
requirements for all services including planning, management training and other routine
administrative functions. This compels the agency to select the lowest bidder—
regardless of the qualifications of the contractor. AB 2388 also removes the requirement
that services be subject to lowest responsible bidding procedures and, as a result, the
OSA will ultimately spend less money because the lowest cost service provider
frequently provides less overall service.
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330 oistel Circle Los Altos,CA 94022 65e-69z 1200 6 s o 091.0435 www openspace.org
We urge you to support this critical change in the OSA's enabling legislation. AB 2388s
sensible amendments will in the long run save taxpayers money, result in more efficient
and effective protection of public open space lands and allow OSA to create more
opportunities for public recreation.
Sincerely,
Stephen E. Abbors
General Manager
cc: Assemblymember Jim Beall (Fax: 916-319-2124)
Joanna Gin, Committee Consultant(Fax: 916-319-3306)
SCCOSA Board of Directors (Fax: 408-224-7548)
Ralph Heim, Public Policy Advocates
MROSD Board of Directors
TO: General Manager
FROM: Gordon Baillie
Monthly Field Activity Summary Report
Between 11112012 And 113112012
CITE WARNING JCR KNOWN TOTALS TOTALS
DISTRICT VIOLATIONS VIOLATIONS
ENFORCEMENT 158
Bicycle Citations&JCRs Issued 31
Closed area-bicycle 3 4 0 0 7
Helmet required 1 1 0 0 2 Parking Citations Issued 74
Trail use speed limit 0 2 0 0 2 All Written Warnings Issued 46
Closed Area Police Assistance 7
rsensitive/hazardous1 d area
3 0 0 0 3
Ente closed
Enter temporary/regular closed area 7 14 0 0 21
LAW ENFORCEMENT 31
Dog
Law Enforcement 31
Dog in prohibited area 4 4 0 0 8
Leash required-Dog 7 3 0 0 10
Other ACCIDENTS/ INCIDENTS 7
After hours 5 11 0 0 16 Medical-Bicycle Accident 4
Damaging/removing plants 1 0 0 0 1
Medical-Hiking/Running Accident 1
Permit
Failure to comply with permit conditions 0 1 0 0 1
Medical-Other First Aid 1
DISTRICT TOTAL 31 40 0 0 71 Search&Rescue 1
CITE WARNING JCR KNOWN TOTALS
NON DISTRICT VIOLATIONS VIOLATIONS
MUTUAL AID 4
Bicycle
Fire Incident 1
Minor bicycling without helmet 0 1 0 0 1
Medical-Bicycle Accident 1
Other
0 1 0 0 1 Vehicle Accident 2
NON DISTRICT TOTAL 0 2 0 0 2
GRAND TOTAL 31 42 0 0 73
'JCR Juvenile Contact Report
Friday,April 20,2012 Page 1 of 4
PARKING VIOLATIONS CITE WARNING TOTALS
DISTRICT 75 4 79
Prohibited Areas(Signed) 7 0 7
Prohibited Areas(On fire trail) 1 1 2
Prohibited Areas(Nondesignated area) 11 0 11
Prohibited Areas(Blocking traffic) 1 0 1
Prohibited Areas(After hours) 53 3 56
Take up more than one marked parking s 2 0 2
75 4 79
E F PE
DATE OCCURRENCES O SPECIAL IAL INTEREST
Rangers: 3
Jan 02 Two visitors found a person having a seizure and called 911 on their cell phone. Rangers,fire,and Ran g
AR 12F004 ambulance responded. The patient regained consciousness after 30 seconds. The victim and
witnesses hiked down the trail where they were met by fire and ranger personnel. The victim was
backboarded and taken down the trail by wheel litter. A patrol truck drove the victim to the trailhead
where a ground ambulance transported him to the hospital.
Preserve Rancho San Antonio Location
Jan 02 There was a report of three subjects in the closed Almaden Air Force Base(Mt. Umunhum). Two Rangers: 2
IR 12F003 rangers responded where they contacted and cited two subjects for the"Sensitive/Hazardous Closed
Area"violation while the third subject fled. The third subject was stopped later on a nearby trail. The
third subject was cited for the same violation and warned for"Resisting/Obstructing a Peace Officer in
the Performance of their Duties".
Preserve Sierra Azul-Mt. Umunhum Location
Jan 03 A preserve neighbor reported that he had remote surveillance camera photos of a suspicious vehicle Rangers: 2
IR 12Foo6 entering and leaving his gate near the Mt. Umunhum Air Base. The photos were taken in the middle of
the night. The first photo shows a pick up with an empty bed entering and then an hour later leaving with
a heavy load covered by a tarp. Two rangers responded to investigate. They discovered that"diamond
plate"steel was missing from roadway trenches at the air base. Maintenance staff will be filling in the
trenches with dirt.
Preserve Sierra Azul-Mt. Umunhum Location
Jan 08 District staff were called out by Mountain View Dispatch at 7:45 pm for a report of a missing/overdue Rangers: 3
IR 12SO05 bicyclist in the El Corte de Madera OSP. The reporting party and San Mateo Sheriffs were met at the Police: 1
Skegg's Point Parking Lot on Highway 35. While District staff conducted a search of the trails around
the location where the person was reported to have been, a San Mateo Sheriff Deputy using a public
address system along the Fir Trail located the lost person and transported him back to Skegg's Point.
He was reunited with friends and family at approximately 9:00 pm.
Preserve El Corte de Madera Creek Location Gordon Mill Trail; located victim on Fir Trail
Jan 08 Ranger staff were first on-scene at a bicycle accident in the Preserve. The rider suffered a broken arm Rangers: 3
AR 12SO02 and abrasions when he hit a bump and went over the handlebars. Witnesses stated that he was Police: 1
traveling at about 25 mph when he fell. He was transported to the hospital for treatment.
Preserve El Corte de Madera Creek Location Timberview Trail
Jan 11 A solo bicyclist fell while riding along Highway 35,just south of the Windy Hill picnic area. A District Rangers: 2
MA 12SO08 Supervising Ranger was first on-scene. Three motorists also stopped to help. She was conscious but Police: 1
oriented to name only. Her main complaint was left shoulder pain. She was transported by ambulance
to the hospital.
Preserve Off District Lands-Skyline Location
Friday,April 20,2012 Page 2 of 4
Jan 14 , A bicyclist was injured while riding on the Methuselah Trail. He was knocked unconscious and Rangers: 5
AR 12SO07 sustained injuries to his wrist,face&chest. A witness stated he was riding behind the patient,who lost Police: 2
control on a drain dip,went up in the air, and landed on his face and left side. Another witness who is a
doctor, stated the victim was unconscious for two minutes. After regaining consciousness the patient
had walked about a mile with friends before being treated by Kings Mountain Fire&San Mateo County
Fire Paramedics. District staff were notified by Mountain View Dispatch of the accident and responded
to the scene.The patient was located approximately.7 miles from gate CM08. District staff administered
oxygen and monitored vitals until paramedics arrived. The victim was transported by ambulance to the
hospital.
Preserve El Corte de Madera Creek Location Methuselah Trail
Jan 14 Two bicyclists collided and fell. The Emergency Medical System was activated. Rangers,fire and Rangers: 4
Y 9 Y Y 9
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AR 12F014 medical staff responded and contacted the bicyclists. One complained o severe lower back and
shoulder pain. The other complained of severe shoulder pain. The cyclist who was complaining of lower
back pain was flown to the hospital by air ambulance and the other patient was driven to the hospital by
ground ambulance.
Preserve Fremont Older Location
Jan 15 A ranger found a wallet containing identification at a District gate outside of a closed area. The Rangers: 1
IR 12FO20 identification matched that of a subject wanted for an auto burglary at a local State Park. The ranger
spoke with the subject's parole officer who requested that a report be completed for the found wallet.
Preserve Sierra Azul-Rancho de Guadalupe Location Gate SA05
Jan 16 While hiking with his family a child experienced difficulty breathing. A parent stated that the child had Rangers: 3
IR 12S011 asthma and that his inhaler was left at home. District staff was first on-scene along with CalFire Police: 1
personnel. The patient was evaluated by a CalFire medic, and was released to his parents for transport
to a doctor.
Preserve Windy Hill Location Spring Ridge Trail
Jan 19 A report came out over San Mateo Fire dispatch of a wildland fire. District Rangers investigated,and Rangers: 2
MA 12S013 discovered that it was a burn pile. CalFire responded and took charge of the scene.
Preserve Off District Lands-Skyline Location 61 Castenea Ridge Rd.
Jan 19 A vehicle vs. motorcycle accident occurred on Page Mill Road, 1/4 mile east of Highway 35. A District Rangers: 2
MA 12SO14 Area Superintendent was first on the scene. The vehicle was stopped in the eastbound lane with
damage to front of the vehicle. The motorcycle was in the westbound lane with major front-end
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damage. The motorcycle driver said he had pain in his left leg, but did not need medical attention. The
incident was turned over to CalFire and the San Mateo County Sheriff.
Preserve Off District Lands-Skyline Location Page Mill Road
Jan 26 Mountain View Dispatch informed Skyline Field Office of a report of motorcycles riding in the Preserve. Rangers: 4
IR 12So15 A thorough search of the Preserve did not result in any action. Tracks were found entering the Preserve
at gate PC04. An Area Superintendant in the area reported tracks down the Whittemore Gulch Trail and
up the Purisima Creek Trail. Other ranger staff reported tracks exiting at El Corte de Madera OSP gate
CM08. No suspects were contacted.
Preserve Purisima Creek Redwoods Location Whittemore Gulch Trail
Jan 26 A visitor reported seeing a person sitting with a sword in the Preserve. Rangers and Sheriffs Deputies Rangers: 2
IR 12FO28 responded to check the trail. The rangers and deputies could not find the subject. Police: 3
Preserve El Sereno Location
Jan 28 An individual was observed with a dog in the preserve where dogs are prohibited. He initially gave false Rangers: 1
IR 12SO16 information about his identity. He revised the information but then refused to be fingerprinted.
Eventually he agreed and was cited.
Preserve Purisima Creek Redwoods Location North Ridge Trail at stile
Jan 31 The individual was observed digging up mushrooms in a closed area of the preserve. He was cited and Rangers: 2
IR 12SO17 released. The mushrooms were taken into evidence.
Preserve La Honda Creek Location Dirt road approx. 1/2 mi inside Gate LH01
Friday,April 20,2012 Page 3 of 4
Jan 31 A ranger and the District's Real Property Specialist discovered fresh vehicle tracks entering the preserve Rangers: 1
/0 12FO24 from neighboring property. The Real Property Specialist had recently spoken to the neighbor who
admitted that another family member had driven into the preserve. The neighbor told the Real Property
Specialist that they would no longer drive in the preserve.
Preserve El Sereno Location Spookie Knoll/Eucalyptus Grove
DATE VANDALISM DETAIL
Jan 07 Purple graffiti.
VL
Preserve Sierra Azul Location Blackberry Hill Rd
Jan 22 "Quiet Please"post and sign pulled out and thrown in creek.
VL
Preserve Rancho San Antonio Location Ravensbury/Mora Cutover
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Friday,April 20,2012 Page 4 of 4
TO: General Manager
FROM: Gordon:Baillie
Monthly Field Activity Summary Report
Between 21112012 And 212912012
CITE WARNING JCR KNOWN TOTALS TOTALS
DISTRICT VIOLATIONS VIOLATIONS
ENFORCEMENT 103
Bicycle Citations&JCRs Issued 30
Closed area-bicycle 0 3 0 0 3
Helmet possession required 0 1 0 0 1 Parking Citations Issued 31
Helmet required 1 4 0 0 5 All Written Warnings Issued 32
Trail use speed limit 3 1 0 0 4 Police Assistance 10
Closed Area
Enter temporary/regular closed area 3 4 0 0 7
LAW ENFORCEMENT 36
Dog
Law Enforcement 36
Dog in prohibited area 5 4 0 0 9
Leash required-Dog 13 5 0 0 18
Other ACCIDENTS/INCIDENTS 7
After hours 1 7 0 0 8 Medical-Bicycle Accident 2
Damaging/removing plants 0 1 0 0 1
Medical-Other First Aid 4
Smoking-undesignated area 3 0 0 0 3
Vehicles prohibited 0 1 0 0 1 Search&Rescue 1
Permit
Failure to comply with permit conditions 0 2 0 0 2 MUTUAL AID 7
DISTRICT TOTAL 29 33 0 0 62 HazMat 2
CITE WARNING JCR KNOWN TOTALS
NON DISTRICT VIOLATIONS VIOLATIONS Law Enforcement 1
Other Medical-Bicycle Accident 2
False Information to a peace officer 1 0 0 0 1 Vehicle Accident 2
Possession of Marijuana-<an ounce 1 0 0 0 1
NON DISTRICT TOTAL 2 0 0 0 2
GRAND TOTAL 31 33 0 0 64
'JCR Juvenile Contact Report
Friday,April 20,2012 a --
Page I of 4
PARKING VIOLATIONS CITE WARNING TOTALS
DISTRICT 30 1 31
Prohibited Areas(Signed) 5 0 5
Prohibited Areas(Nondesignated area) 3 0 3
Prohibited Areas(Blocking gate) 2 1 3
Prohibited Areas(After hours) 20 0 20
PARKING VIOLATIONS CITE WARNING TOTALS
NON DISTRICT 1 0 1
No parking 1 0 1
31 1 32
DATE OCCURRENCES OF SPECIAL INTEREST
Feb 01 A District Trail Patrol Volunteer found a person in need of assistance in the preserve. The volunteer Rangers: 3
AR 12F026 contacted radio dispatch and rangers responded. The rangers determined that an Emergency Medical
System response was needed. Fire and ambulance responded. The subject was disoriented and
complained of abdominal pain. The subject was transported by ground ambulance to the hospital.
Preserve Sierra Azul Location SA08
Feb 04 A bicyclist heading east on Page Mill Road hit a center line"dot"with the front wheel and lost control. Rangers: 3
MA 12SO18 He suffered injuries to his mouth and various scrapes on his legs when he fell. District Rangers were
first on scene, provided patient care,and coordinated a response with Palo Alto Rangers, CalFire,and
San Mateo County Fire.The patient was transported by ambulance to the hospital.
Preserve Off District Lands-Skyline Location Page Mill Road approx. 1/4 mi east of Monte Bello parking lot
Feb 07 New unlawful trail construction was found in the preserve off Reynolds Road. One possible suspect was Rangers: 2
IR 12FO31 contacted and released.
Preserve Sierra Azul-Rancho de Guadalupe Location Reynolds Road
Feb 11 A ranger observed three men with two dogs off leash. When the owner of the dogs was contacted by Rangers: 3
IR 12SO26 the ranger,the owner gave several false statements regarding is identity. When warned of the Police: 2
consequences of giving false information,the suspect became very belligerent and started using
derogatory names toward the ranger. San Mateo County Sheriff were requested for assistance. The
individual continued giving false information to the deputies at which time they handcuffed him after a
short struggle. The suspect was placed in the back of a patrol car at which point he finally gave the
deputies his correct information. He was cited for dogs off leash and giving false information to a peace
officer.
Preserve Thornewood Location Bridle Trail
Feb 11 While on patrol, a ranger discovered several trees had been cut along the old abandoned trail route Rangers: 1
IR 12SO29 along Dennis Martin Creek. The route had been abandoned as part of the realignment of the Bridle Trail
was completed,and was under restoration. Some of the trees were saplings,while others were
approximately three feet in diameter. No suspects were contacted.
Preserve Thornewood Location Dennis Martin Cr.Trail
Feb 12 A visitor was walking in the off-leash area of the preserve when a large black and white dog,which was Rangers: 1
IR 12FO36 described as a pit bull weighing approximately 80 pounds, attacked one of his two King Charles
Spaniels. The visitor's dog was approximately 50 feet ahead of him,and was out of sight at the time of
the attack. The visitor heard the attack start and when he got to the dogs the black and white dog had
part of his dog in its mouth. The visitor described the attack as"pretty vicious". After some time the
visitor and the owner of the black and white dog were able to separate the two. The attack was repeated
again and during the second attack the visitor and his dogs received bites from the attacking dog.
Bystanders stepped in to help separate the dogs.The female owner of the black and white dog grabbed
it and left the area saying she would come back,which she did not. After the subject spoke with
bystanders he decided to leave and get medical attention for himself and his dogs.
Preserve Pulgas Ridge Location Near the Blue Oak Trail
Friday,Apri120,2012 Page 2 of 4
Feb 12 • A 911 call was received reporting an individual who was acting strangely, and who had walked away Rangers: 7
AR 12Fo34 from the stables. Rangers responded and began a search.The person was found uninjured. He
appeared to have been hiding down in a creek drainage. He was returned to the stables and released. Police: 5
Preserve Bear Creek Redwoods Location Bear Creek Stables
Feb 12 An individual was seen by a ranger walking along Highway 35. He was covered in mud and was trying Rangers: 3
MA 125128 to make a phone call. He stated that he had crashed his car on Portola Heights Road, but was not hurt. Police: 2
The ranger picked him up and went to Portola Heights Road. A response from CalFire was requested.
There was a smell of alcohol coming from the individual and he admitted to drinking. Another ranger
reported that there had been an accident on Pescadero Road. Upon approaching Portola Heights Road,
the individual told the ranger that his car was not there and to keep on going. San Mateo Sheriff was
notified to respond to the scene. The individual finally admitted he crashed his car on Pescadero Road,
was picked up by a passing motorist,and dropped off on Highway 35. He was arrested by San Mateo
Sheriff for being drunk in public and for suspicion of"Driving Under the Influence".
Preserve Off District Lands-Skyline Location Hwy.35& Portola Heights Road
Feb 12 While on foot patrol,a ranger observed a female adult walking with an unleashed dog. The ranger Rangers: 4
IR 12Fo35 detained her and shortly into the conversation she fled the scene.The ranger followed her,and found Police: 1
her hiding in the coyote brush. After another short conversation she fled again. A San Mateo County
Sheriff Deputy responded as did three other rangers.They all continued to search and were unable to
relocate the individual.
Preserve Pulgas Ridge Location Trail leading to the Los Vientos access.
Feb 12 A Resident Ranger was notified by Mountain View Dispatch that San Mateo County Sheriff was Rangers: 4
IR 125027 requesting ranger assistance in a search for two people apparently lost in the preserve. Additional
District staff were notified to respond to the scene along with search and rescue personnel and dogs. Police: 4
District staff started an extensive search for the missing people. District staff located the couple at 7:30
the next morning. The couple stated they entered the preserve at around 9:00 PM. They became
disoriented and lost in the dark and fog,calling a relative in Michigan who was familiar with the area.
They then proceeded on several different trails toward the former"Quam"rental house where they tried
to contact the resident. There was no answer to their knocking on the door at which time they found an
outbuilding door open where they spent the rest of the night.
Preserve Russian Ridge Location Ridge Trail, Hawk Trail,Alder Springs, proceeding to the entire ridge line
Feb 16 A ranger received information to be on the lookout for a suicidal subject in the area,with an associated Rangers: 3
AR 12F039 vehicle nearby. The person was located down a ravine on the preserve where she stated she had spent
the night in the preserve. She said she brought a gun to kill herself but changed her mind. She stated Police: 4
that she had pain in her right wrist and ankle. Her location down the steep ravine made access very
difficult. Numerous agencies responded to the area to assist with the rescue. After an initial
examination she was air lifted and transferred to a ground ambulance for transport to the hospital.
Preserve Sierra Azul Location Below gate SA07 in a steep ravine
Feb 19 A Santa Clara County Sheriff Deputy had warned four 14 year old juveniles for being in a closed area of Rangers: 1
MA 12F047 Sierra Azul OSP and released them. As the juveniles rode away along Hicks Road on their bikes,where Police: 1
one of them rode on the wrong side of the road and was hit head-on by a pick-up truck on a blind turn.
The patient sustained a broken leg and other injuries,and was transported to hospital. The driver of the
truck was not injured.
Preserve Off District Lands-Foothills Location Hicks Road at Pheasant Road
Feb 20 Rangers received a report of a hit and run accident. A visitor said that he was unloading his vehicle Rangers: 1
IR 12F048 when his wife told him that a vehicle backing out of the adjacent spot had bumped into their parked car.
He said the person did not stop, and he was unable to make contact with the driver. He said he took
down the vehicle's license plate number and that he just wanted an informational report to be taken to
document the incident.
Preserve Rancho San Antonio County Park Location Upper Parking Lot
Feb 25 A ranger was advised by a visitor that a couple with eight dogs had just entered the preserve. The Rangers: 2
IR 125032 couple and the dogs were located on the trail a short time later. They stated they were a dog walking
service, however they were on vacation. They were cited for leash violations and given a verbal warning
for having more than three dogs.
Preserve Long Ridge Location Peters Creek Trail
Feb 25 A report was received of an injured bicyclist. A second report clarified the location. Fire and medical Rangers: 3
AR 12F054 responded, and followed District Rangers into the location. The patient stated he was descending the
trail when he hit a bump and fell off the bike on to his right shoulder and rib area. After the patient was
assessed he was transported by ambulance to the hospital.
Preserve Sierra Azul Location Kennedy Trail
Friday,Apri120,201 Z Page 3 of 4
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Feb 27 Rangers responded to a report from Palo Alto Animal Control that a goat at a neighbor's property Rangers: 1
IR 125033 adjacent to Los Trancos OSP had been killed. The headless carcass was located in the preserve along Police: 1
the disc line. It was not completely clear upon initial investigation, but it was thought that it was not a
mountain lion that had killed the goat. It appeared that the head had been cut off and taken as it not
located in the surrounding area.
Preserve Los Trancos Location 31105 Page Mill Rd.
Feb 29 A stolen car was found by a District Ranger. The vehicle was located off the side of Page Mill Rd. Palo Rangers: 2
MA 12So34 Alto Police were requested,where they took over the scene. Police: 1
Preserve Off District Lands-Skyline Location Page Mill Rd.,at mile marker 2.4
DATE VANDALISM DETAIL
Feb 05 Hot water heater stolen from house.
VL
Preserve Sierra Azul Location Stanton/Crites
Feb 06 Tagging on guard rail and sign post.
VL
Preserve Sierra Azul Location SA07&SA08
Feb 06 Tagging on fence and Oak tree.
VL
Preserve Sierra Azul Location SA06
Feb 12 Graffiti on inside of door.
VL
Preserve Monte Bello Location Parking lot restroom
Feb 14 Chapel building-door ripped off along with numerous graffiti.
VL
Preserve Bear Creek Redwoods Location
Feb 19 Found and removed tagging on a sign.
VL
Preserve Sierra Azul Location SA09
Friday,April 20,2012 Page 4 of 4