BOARD AGENDA MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT:
Title
Office of Communications Update.
End
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
A. Receive information on the Office of Communication’s accomplishments and planned activities; and
B. Provide input on current and future challenges, goals, and accomplishments since the last semi-annual presentation to the Board.
Body
SUMMARY:
Per Ends Policy No. E-1, Mission and General Policies, 1.2, the District's communications goal is to communicate the District's programs, projects, and challenges to the community, effectively and transparently, in order to foster public engagement.
Since January 2012, staff has presented the Board with semi-annual updates on the District's communications and community engagement activities. The last update was presented on June 12, 2018.
This update gives the Board an opportunity to receive further information and provide input on how staff can better enable the Board to act as a key linkage between the District and the community in order to accomplish Board Governance Process, Policy GP-3.1. which states: “The Board will produce the link between the District and the public.”
Staff continues its ongoing efforts to publicize Santa Clara Valley Water District activities and bring more awareness about our commitment to provide Santa Clara County residents with safe, clean water for a healthy life, environment, and economy.
Since our last update, staff has continued to support media and community outreach events focusing on highlighting District accomplishments, milestones, and progress. Each month, a summary of the unit’s activities is provided in the Board’s non-agenda packet.
A few major accomplishments from this period are:
A Board member guest column (Director Estremera) was published in the Metro. Two guest columns were submitted to the Santa Clara County Farm Bureau on behalf of Director Varela and published in the bureau’s newsletter.
News coverage included the state Prop. 1 funding for the District’s Pacheco Reservoir Expansion Project (interviews with Director Kremen and Chair Santos); state funding for the Shoreline project (interviews with Vice Chair LeZotte and Chair Santos); the signing of Senator Wieckowski’s bill--SB 881 which provides state funding for the Shoreline project; and the Safe, Clean Water grants program. Director Keegan was interviewed for a story in the Willow Glen Resident on the Upper Guadalupe River Flood Protection Project. In June, Director Hsueh gave opening remarks at the Rinconada Water Treatment Plant Open House.
• South San Francisco Bay Shoreline Project public meeting
• Rinconada Water Treatment Plant Open House
• Shoreline project media event with Senator Wieckowski
• Lower Berryessa site tour
• Mailed 16,000 CreekWise brochures
• Shoreline Project celebration with Senator Feinstein
• Anderson Dam Seismic Retrofit Project meeting
• Stream Maintenance Program mailers
• Upper Penitencia Creek Project meeting
• Coyote Warehouse tour and public meeting
Three advertising outreach efforts have continued:
• The public education campaign was completed in June. Post-campaign survey results were presented to the Board on Sept. 11, indicating an improvement in public understanding and perception of the District’s work.
• The water conservation campaign has continued through the fall. Several informative videos, featuring members of the District’s Landscape Committee have been produced. As part of the campaign, the District was able to bring the water truck to a San Jose Giants game. Chair Santos threw out the first pitch, and our mascot, H2Cool, helped get our water conservation message across.
• Preparations for the 2018-2019 flood awareness campaign have proceeded. The annual floodplain mailer is scheduled to be sent to flood-prone properties in November. Staff has presented flood awareness information at several community events in flood-prone areas.
Posts to the Valley Water News blog consistently garner more than 17,000 views per month. The redesigned website, valleywater.org, is continually being improved. Our monthly e-newsletter now reaches nearly 30,000 subscribers.
During this Board agenda item, staff will present a short video summarizing the highlights of the last six months.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no financial impact associated with this item.
CEQA:
The recommended action does not constitute a project under CEQA because it does not have the potential for resulting in direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1: PowerPoint
UNCLASSIFIED MANAGER:
Manager
Rick L. Callender, 408-630-2017