Archive for the ‘Cambria University’ Category
Cambria’s water history
Ms Adleson’s comments on the water history of Cambria includes some very misleading comments and lots of fiction. Please, if you will Ms Adelson come up with some proof verifying the following allegations.
1. The 26,000 population figure!
2. The heliport claim!
3. The golf course claim!
4. 10″s of thousands of trees cut down!
5. Silting of the reservoir requiring excessive maintenance!
6. My not allowing ratepayers to speak at meetings. I originally ran for the Board because a then Director (Pitkin) told me to shut up and sit down. I ALWAYS allowed ANYONE to state their case in meetings under my control. Subject to the three minute rule.
One thing I can agree with is the fact that in my 30 years in this town NO additional water has been provided because the NO growthers have been successful the their “no water - no growth” beliefs. And contrary to your statement I have not joined the NO growth movement. I believe that property owners who have paid taxes, water and sewer “availablity” fees for years and years should be allowed to build.
Cambria’s Water History
At the August 21, 2008 CCSD meeting, Director Peter Chaldecott and General Manager Tammy Rudock presented a 10 minute history lesson of water issues in Cambria since the mid-nineteenth century. There is a downloadable version of the history at cambriacsd.org. Here is the excerpt of the meeting:
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What is a CSD anyway?
As we rev up into election season and three positions on the Board of the CCSD are open for election, a little refresher on some of the basics about this form of local government might be helpful.
Back on May 1, 2008, I posted an article called CCSD 101 - The Basics. Read it here. There are a few lingering misconceptions about the CCSD, its board and staff and what it does for the community. To get a more in depth lesson on the CCSD, read the recently produced Municipal Services Review, which provides a good overview of the district and its operations. But in the interest of a better informed community, here are the things everyone should know about the CCSD.
1. The CCSD is not just a water district. Since 1976, when the CCSD was formed, it has taken on providing Water, Sewer, Solid Waste, Fire Protection, Street Lighting, Parks and Recreation, Transit, and Veterans Memorial Services. The CCSD has been recognized as providing these services and cannot cease providing them without LAFCO approval - a process that includes public input and is similar to the process required for the district to take on providing a new service. (Fact: The Community Services District law enumerates 31 potential services a CSD may provide. CCSD provides only 8.)
2. There are 5 elected members on the Board of Directors. State law limits the amount of compensation they are given to $100 per meeting, with a $600/month cap. Directors can choose to receive no compensation.
3. The Directors can be reimbursed for meals and travel for district business (like conferences and Coastal Commission meetings).
There are other Cambria myths and misconceptions. Let’s sharpen up our community knowledge and enhance our understanding.
Tags: 93428, CA, Cambria, CCSD
League of California Cities Offers Insight: Ethics in Public Service
On the League of California Cities’ website you will find some excellent information. In particular, take a look at the Public Service Ethical Dilemmas Analyzed page. The site says: Check out our analysis of a series of commonly faced dilemmas, including their legal and ethical dimensions. You can download, free of charge, analysis of everyday ethics issues such as
- Commitment to Nonprofit Causes and Public Service (Western City, August 2008)
- Property Ownership in Your Jurisdiction
- Promoting Civility at Public Meetings
- Using Public Resources for Charitable Purposes
- What to do When You Suspect an Ethics Problem: An Eight-Step Strategy
Although we are not an incorporated city, nearly all of the information applies to our community leaders. Several months back, Elizabeth Bettenhausen posted an article on California’s website of the Fair Political Practices Commission which lists AB 1234 Ethics Training for Local Officials, a California Law that was passed in Oct. 2005. You can click that item in the left column of the home page and actually take the ethics training yourself. I took the training course and earned my certificate. I know Director Muril Clift also earned his. I recommend it for everyone. Its an education in the complexity of the decisions that elected officials face all the time. It’s not as easy as it seems.
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Appeal from AboutCambria.com for Your Support
I originally started AboutCambria.com as a place for Cambrians to share information about the issues surrounding the rate increase that was rejected last fall. As I continued to learn about the District, it became clear that an additional source of information - one that could augment what could be found on the CCSD’s website and what is printed in the Cambrian. Although it isn’t yet everything I hope it can become, it has come a long way.
We recently had to change to a new web host because there have been so many visitors we brought down the server on the old host (more than once). Since the move we’ve averaged about 250 visitors per day. There are now 62 people subscribed to the feedblitz newsletter that sends out an email when new articles are posted. (See right column to sign up.)
I want to keep this resource growing and thriving and have come up against the limits of what I can do by myself financially. A few readers have already donated generously to AboutCambria.com and to them I say thank you. They have helped keep the hosting and some of the software tools paid for. With the new host and the amount of time involved, I need to get some more financial support to keep this project alive and continue to pay my mortgage, so I can remain a Cambrian.
You can donate to the cause (not tax-deductible, but definitely a few points toward good karma) using paypal by clicking the little gold guy at the end of almost every article. Any amount will help cover the costs. I’d like to stop digging a deeper hole, so every dollar counts. If you prefer to avoid paypal, I will be at the CCSD meeting this Thursday or you are welcome to send check by mail (2220 Ardath) or call me (4191) to arrange a transfer from your offshore account. Any and all donors will receive my deepest gratitude and a thank you (with a link to a site of your choice) on a new Supporters page - though if you prefer to remain anonymous, that will be respected.
Thanks to everyone who writes for AboutCambria.com and everyone who reads it. I hope it will continue to improve and be a resource for our community in the years to come.
I believe that the best way to have a good community is to make sure there is information and conversation easily available accompanied by citizens paying attention to what their representatives are doing in the name of the community. We don’t have to all agree, but we do have to communicate.
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AboutCambria.com Seeking More Balance
Why do I spend so much time and energy researching and writing and adding resources to AboutCambria.com? Because I believe in democracy - and without information and conversation, democracy doesn’t work as it should. It’s really quite simple, almost elegant, when representative democracy works like it should. But if we don’t participate, we get what we deserve.
I’ve done a lot of digging and reading and AboutCambria.com has a growing collection of documents, resources and opinions from all over that pertain to Community Services Districts, water and sewer services, municipal finance and civic participation. But AboutCambria.com isn’t yet the site I’d like it to be. I’d like to have a more balanced site, one that includes every point of view and opinion.
Ideally, everyone in Cambria would find this a place where they could read about and discuss the issues, find background, information and ideas from other communities facing similar issues. If it seems slanted or biased against the CCSD (which it could very well be), it’s because not very many CCSD supporters, board members or staff have contributed. Since the inception of AboutCambria.com, I have invited Tammy Rudock and each of the Directors to use the resource of AboutCambria.com to communicate their goals and help address misunderstandings the community might have. I would be a mighty happy camper if this became a forum for open communication. We’re never going to all agree on everything - but we can try to build consensus and build a bridge over the canyon dividing our community - but not without communication.
I have a sense that most Cambrians aren’t as polarized or apathetic as it might first appear. There are many Cambrians who trust the leadership, many more who carry forward the values of the “Question Authority” generation. People who question the status quo or plans for our future are not the enemy. People who question those things are usually just trying to confirm they supporting the right plan of action.
Our community is unique, of the 80% of Cambrians over 25 years old, over 35% have a higher education degree - and over 90% are high school graduates. The median age in most communities in this country is 35.3, Cambria’s median age is 50.7. We’re smart and experienced. I think we can understand the issues, no matter the complexity, when we have the opportunity. AboutCambria.com is my attempt to provide that opportunity. I’d like to see more people contributing what they know about the history of Cambria and the CCSD and growth and water. And of course there is MUCH more to Cambria than issues of growth and water - a fact that has been missing from this site thus far. But soon, AboutCambria.com will have a sister site AboutCCSD.com. As AboutCambria.com broadens its focus to cover more of the great things that go on in Cambria, like entertaiment and non-profit activities, AboutCCSD.com will be continuing to follow what’s happening with CCSD-related issues.
What’s your opinion?
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Where does AboutCambria.com Stand on Cambria Issues?
As we await the results of the second prop 218 ballot validations, it seems like a good time to reflect on why this site was first created and how it has grown and changed. (Those of you wanting a report from the July 24th meeting…one will be up soon!)
So where does AboutCambria.com stand on Cambria issues? The short answer: Behind each and every Cambrian who wants their voice heard and right next to every person who loves this town and wants to contribute to it’s success. Of course, that’s not really an answer, and the longer answer is, of course, longer.
Just to the right of these words is a section in the right column that says
PLEASE NOTE: About Cambria.com was built as a forum for all Cambrians and the community. The ideas and opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of AboutCambria.com or any organization or the community as a whole. Express yourself. Comment to show support or opposition. Contribute to state your case.
This statement (plus the one at the very bottom of the page) hint at what I’d like to see this site become. The driving force behind building this resource was to provide a place for “regular” Cambrians (and CFRC members) to exchange ideas, share documents, have conversations, share a calendar and links to useful sites. It’s no substitute for face to face conversations, but I hope an interactive website would help extinguish one of the main things stopping some from participating: time.
The CFRC formed to oppose the fall 2007 rate increase, not to oppose the CCSD. It is difficult not to take things personally in such a small community and there has been tension and some animosity. But our group is still serious about working with the CCSD find a way forward and propose a rates plan that the community would get behind. AboutCambria.com was built to help address the steep learning curve. The volunteers worked hard to ensure their rates proposal would be informed and realistic.
Since AboutCambria.com launched last November, many of the contributing writers focus on improving the oversight and accountability of the CCSD. Not too many cheerleaders for CCSD. I get reactions from some who see this site as a CCSD-bashing, inflammatory and/or insulting site and are not likely to join the conversation. That view is very far from my ideal vision: a democratic, self-monitoring, safe place for dialogs and debates in the interest of our community.
What AboutCambria.com will never be is free from bias. When it comes to discussion of the future of Cambria, I would be a fool to think any site would be unbiased. What this site CAN be is balanced. (And quit thinking I’ve gone all Fox News on you!) Where does AboutCambria.com Stand on Cambria Issues? It stands in support of them. All of them. Because one of the core values of this site is one central to the success of democracy: access to information and education. The founding fathers believed that successful democracy requires well-informed, involved citizens. If AboutCambria.com is providing accurate information about the community and the opportunity for everyone to add to the conversation so everyone is more well-informed and more involved, I consider it a success. If AboutCambria.com becomes a nursery for solutions for Cambria, it will be a resounding success.
AboutCambria.com is not a success yet….And it needs YOUR help. Have you commented or written a post? I have invited the participation of many in the community, including the General Manager and her staff and Board President Joan Cobin. CCSD Director Muril Clift has responded constituents’ concerns that had been posted and contributing a human interest story about Zac Sunderland, perhaps to remind everyone it isn’t ALL About Cambria. Other members of the community who have posted here: Charlotte Darehshori, Clive Finchamp, Doug Buckmaster, Elizabeth Bettenhausen, Rich Davega, Frank DeMicco, Anne Winburn, Lauren Younger, Richard Brownhill and yours truly - Amanda Rice.
Now its your turn. Go on over and read the Fine Print (click tab above) and then get to typing what you think about all of this. Its simple - you can click the “Submit a Post” tab at the top or register to be a member with additional editing tools and permissions. There is no charge to contribute. That’s right - FREE! Contact Amanda if you have any questions or problems with the site.
So where does AboutCambria.com stand on the issues? On the community’s side.
Four Little Thought Packets:
- A popular government without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy, or perhaps both. ^ James Madison
- Whenever the people are well informed, they can be trusted with their own government; that whenever things get so far wrong as to attract their notice, they may be relied on to set them to rights. ^ Thomas Jefferson
- Don’t be afraid of opposition. Remember, a kite rises against; not with; the wind. ^ hamilton mabie
- Any story sounds true until someone tells the other side and sets the record straight. ^Proverbs 18:17
Collaborative Public Involvement - No Boogie Man
Whether or not the current protest is successful, the CCSD must read the writing on the wall: A significant number in this community take do not approve of how CCSD has been doing business. Over and over through the last nine months, Cambrians have suggested a working group to participate in developing the budget and rates or a watchdog council to keep an eye on the CCSD and keep Cambrians informed. The Board has chosen to maintain their distance.
Announcing the First Protest Count
There were a few dozen minutes during the November 2, 2007 meeting where it looked like the Board was going to involve more Cambrians in the rates process. Director Cobin and Director Chaldecott had been discussing a citizen’s committee, as suggested by constituents, should be put together. Director Cobin said,
“We’ve heard very clearly that members of the community would like a chance to review the workings of the CSD. So we’re suggesting that those of you who are interested in forming some kind of a group and being part of that to come forth and let us know and we’ll arrange for that to happen.” (Applause)
Director Sanders made it clear he thought taking a step back would be the best way forward.
It’s too early to figure out what the process should be and that when they come back in December they could thoroughly discuss how they go forward.
Director Cobin stuck to her idea of getting the group together right away and the volley of argument was on. A few back and forth volleys, and then Director Cobin said,
“with the purpose of of keeping this Board as undivided as possible, I withdraw my suggestion.”
Does Director Cobin value the unity of the Board over what the community has asked for? Surely not.
Director Chaldecott made his pitch for the idea, saying “I’m concerned. After the December meeting we’re into the holidays and the New Year… that’s almost a three month period where nothing happens and I’m not sure if that’s productive.”
Director Sanders responded, “My sense is it will take a minimum of 6 months before we’re ready to talk about the rate increase again. Let’s take our time.” He then made a motion that the ad-hoc committee of Directors Cobin and Chaldecott come back to the board at the December meeting after having talked to the community and come up with a mission. That motion was never seconded and was withdrawn.
President Funke-Bilu then put in his five cents.
“I’ve witnessed an incredible process in my communty which I admire and respect and I want to stand back and give the folks the opportunity to do what they told us they think they can do. They’re organized, they seem united, I see successful business people, I see citizens I see residents, I see retired people with expertise. I don’t think we have to absorb them into the process…I think they have educated themselves. I think they want more time. Let them come to us with the recommendations that they feel they are in a position now to demonstrate. (Applause) “My suggestion is, instead of kind of adopting these folks I would welcome any and all suggestions as to the following, because this is what I attempted to do. I would love input from my community as to what kind of rates are necessary to ‘pay the operating expenses of the agency’ I want numbers from the protesters. I’m a 60’s kid, and I love protesters. I think it’s great. But this is what I would like: how to pay the operating expences of the agency, how to provide for repair and depreciateion of works, provide reasonable surplus for improvements, extensions and enlargements, pay the interest on the bonded debt and provide a sinking or other fund to provide for the paying of the principle of such debt that may become due.”
CCSD Math: 4 in favor, one opposed = no action.
Although four of the five members of the board seemed in favor of getting starting right away, in the end Director Sanders stymied any efforts to initiate a genuinely collaborative effort. He said the board should wait in order to “Find a way to get at the true financial condition of the district so at least everybody understands what the rules of the game are before we launch into this collaborative, cooperative arrangement with the community.”
Director Sanders then made an interesting statement…once it was clear there would be no immediate citizen’s committee formation. He said,
“The question is what is the true burden of the water and wastewater enterprises and how much overhead should be allocated to those two funds. My view at this particular point in time is that we’re overburdening the funds and that has a direct bearing on what the rates are going to be. And it’s quite possible that if we allocate costs to the general fund…we’re going to have to make some very tough decisions about what the general fund is going to carry and what its not. And a part of this process has to be the expense side of the equation…I think the community deserves the opportunity to be thoroughly engaged in the budget process that has us going through priorities and taking a hard look at our expenses in terms of what our priorities are. We haven’t done that in terms of the rate issues and I think we need to do that.”
Director Cobin, realizing she had the support of at least 3 of the directors and thinking Director Sanders now also agreed, tried one last time to get the motion passed. Director Sanders immediately launched into an explanation of how very technical and complex the issues are and that we must agree on the “rules of the game” should be.
I find this very interesting. Here’s what I take away after watching this meeting again: Director Sanders eliminated the possibility of a citizen’s committee getting started before the beginning of 2008, but made sure to position himself as a champion of community collaboration, leaving the words “deserve to be thoroughly engaged in the process” ringing in our ears.
It Takes Two to Tango
There was no substantive discussion of the citizen’s committee at the November regular meeting and the December meeting was cancelled. Meanwhile, the CFRC continued to meet at least 2 hours every week for two and a half more months with the idea that we should be bringing our suggestions about forming a group that would be recognized by the CCSD and be offering President Funke-Bilu the answers to his questions. We were under the impression we were going to be collaborative partners with CCSD.
We planned, debated, voted, prepared and requested a place on the January agenda. At the start of the January meeting, Director Cobin was installed as the board President and the mandate we’d been given seemed to be forgotten. We introduced ourselves and explained how we were organized and what we were working on and how we thought we might collaborate with the CCSD. No action was taken on the part of the Board. So we requested a spot on the agenda of the next meeting (March 6) and were prepared with a resolution for the Board to adopt.
Resolution Regarding CCSD Water and Wastewater Rates Increase.
Whereas,
the Cambrians for Fiscally Responsible CCSD agree that the current shortfalls in
operating costs need to be funded; and
Whereas,
the Cambrians for Fiscally Responsible CCSD agrees there are certain Capital
Improvements Projects needed to ensure health, public safety, and compliance with
state and federal regulations and the appropriate funding mechanism is through
bonds; and
Whereas,
the Cambrians for Fiscally Responsible CCSD believe the community will accept
increased rates to fund the operating shortfall and bond issuance if the CCSD agrees to
a reduction of 10% in the expenditures of the water and wastewater enterprise funds,
as is being proposed at both the state and county levels; and
Whereas,
the Cambrians for Fiscally Responsible CCSD have developed an interim rate proposal
to address these issues based on community input and the facts and figures as
provided by the CCSD;
Therefore,
Be it resolved that this board shall direct CCSD staff to work with CFRC in reviewing
our proposal and yours to come up with rates acceptable to the community to be
presented at an upcoming CCSD meeting.
They accepted our report and listened politely, but declined to take action. The following meeting we were notified that we wouldn’t have a place on the agenda.
Perhaps the Board will try again to support a collaborative process. I doubt the community is willing to change its mind about wanting to be more involved in the process. In fact, many who have been involved since the first protest believe in follow through: You shouldn’t oppose one way of going forward without offering an alternative. The Board’s actions seemed to say they weren’t interested in our alternative, but I can’t be sure, since we’ve not gotten feedback so have to rely on assumptions.
What is the difference between collaborative public involvement and traditional public participation?
All agencies must obey laws that prescribe certain public participation procedures. These requirements give the public the opportunity to get their comments into a written record of decision-making. However, members of the public are often not satisfied with that more formal aspect of public participation. They are not sure what the agency does with their input. They often wonder if agencies are “going through the motions” and not actually considering any ideas that differ from what they already had planned to do.
Some traditional public comment methods—like hearings—are not designed to allow for discussion or explore new ideas. Their purpose is to build a record, and they do that well. The communication they provide is generally one-way, formal, and static (agency to public, then public back to agency) rather than networked, informal, and dynamic (which can lead to creative joint problem-solving). On challenging issues, limiting communication with the public to these formal techniques can deepen misunderstanding and polarize opinion. The public often believes they are most effective when they apply advocacy tactics, such as packing public meetings with members of one interest group, or organizing mass letter writing campaigns. While these tactics may get attention, they do not translate into better decision-making.
A collaborative approach can help to avoid these problems by encouraging strong, creative, high-quality, and responsive lines of communication between agencies and the public.
What are the potential benefits of a collaborative approach to public involvement?
- Improved decision-making resulting from better knowledge of the whole system to be affected by agency actions;
- Better, more durable outcomes that enjoy more support from community members, leading to easier implementation;
- More efficient and effective use of limited public resources due to better match of agency efforts with public priorities;
- Improved relationships between agencies and members of the public;
- Early warning of potentially costly agency missteps or errors; and
- Ending or averting gridlock or litigation on controversial issues.
Often skepticism or antagonism stems from a fear that an agency will seek only to manipulate community opinions, concerns and judgment into a form of support for predetermined plans and policies. At the same time, public agencies often fear that an involvement process will be subverted by the limited agendas of narrow interest groups and will not reflect the diverse opinions of the general public the agency serves.To deal with past misunderstanding, agencies can build trust through responsiveness to community concern about how and under what conditions information is exchanged. This involvement must be done with sensitivity to the time and resource constraints of both the agency and members of the public.
“The irony of democratic participation over the past 40 years is that while both the public (government) and private (professional/specialists) capacity to assist with and attempt to solve the ills of urban and rural communities has risen, the capacity of the actual community to help itself has declined. Local democratic participation has decreased. Individuals no longer see themselves as part of a community of shared values and norms. Individuals have lost “…the conviction that they can influence the events and circumstances of their lives or the world around them” (Gardner, 1995). Sources of this ironic twist of fate are numerous and complex. Some researchers point to the rising complexity of problems facing urban and rural communities, the increase in specialized knowledge necessary to deal with complex problems, and the inability of redistributive policies to deal with inequality (Sirianni & Friedland, 1995). As Keith, citing Boyte, points out, “…the core norms of the broader American culture conspire to make us into a nation of clients seeking benefits. No longer are we a nation of citizens who see ourselves as doing politics” (Keith, 1996).” Strengthening Community Networks:The Basis for Sustainable Community Renewal Prepared by Brett Lane and Diane Dorfman June 30, 1997
Where can I find additional resources on community collaboration and civic participation ?
- Choose “Public Participation” from the category drop-down in the AboutCambria.com Library.
- Community Consensus Building Practical information for building collaboration and partnerships, locating assets and resources, identifying and engaging stakeholders, developing and completing goals and objectives and achieving success.
- CCP Publications — Reframing Public Participation: Strategies for the 21st Century
Innes, Judith and Booher, David. Planning Theory & Practice, Vol. 5, No. 4, 419–436, December 2004
http://www.csus.edu/ccp/publications.stm - CCP’s Core Services — Collaborative Public Involvement
http://www.csus.edu/ccp/about/core_services.stm - International Association for Public Participation
http://www.iap2.org/ - US Environmental Protection Agency’s gateway website of manuals and tools for public involvement
http://www.epa.gov/publicinvolvement/involvework.htm
More resources to come. It seems like our community and its government have a lot to learn about collaboration and cooperation.
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The Cost of Higher Fuel Prices: No More Vehicle Allowances & No CCSD Trucks for Commuting
When the first rates increase was in the works (September 2007), gasoline in California was hovering around the $3 mark. The price is now 50% higher at $4.50 per gallon and continue to rise. Diesel has gone from a little over to $3 to around $5. In an effort to compare the increased costs, I reviewed the expenditure reports for May 2007, July 2007, September 2007, October 2007 and May 2008. Since the expenditure report doesn’t list the price per gallon, I used a little algebra and a calculator to determine an average price per gallon for gasoline and diesel for each of the five months. (See methodology at the end of this post.)
Based on the information from the expenditure reports, the Ditrict is spending somewhere around $3000 more per month on fuel than only one year ago. The increase from January 2006 (using the California average price of diesel) is closer to $5000 a month increase. Reducing the amount of gas and diesel used (by eliminating the vehicle take-home policy) and reducing some of the fixed costs in the budget (vehicle allowances), the CCSD may be able to
make up the difference between what has been budgeted for fuel and what the cost actually is. Without raising rates.
| May-07 | Jul-07 | Sep-07 | Oct-07 | May-08 | |
| Gallons of Gas | 1643 | 857 | 664 | 910 | 1000 |
| Average Price per gallon | $3.57 | $3.31 | $3.26 | $3.27 | $4.47 |
| Total spent for Gasoline | $5,865.51 | $2,836.67 | $2,164.64 | $2,975.70 | $4,470.00 |
| Gallons of Diesel | 2103 | 1714 | 500 | 2394 | 2793 |
| Average Price per gallon | $3.18 | $3.45 | $3.54 | $3.78 | $4.37 |
| Total spent for Diesel | $6,687.54 | $5,913.30 | $1,770.00 | $9,049.32 | $12,205.41 |
| Total Fuel Expenditures | $12,553.05 | $8,749.97 | $3,934.64 | $12,025.02 | $16,675.41 |
PLEASE NOTE:
The numbers in the table are off by a bit, most likely due to the 9/10¢ tax charged in each gallon and because it seems the price per gallon c
an change as many as 3 times per month (at least according to the numbers on the expenditure reports.) It will probably be obvious I didn’t major in math…my B.A. is in English. Trust me when I say that getting this data correct and in a format that was at least somewhat useful was a challenge…fun, but a challenge. Please let me know if you find some error or fallacy in my methodology. I was mainly trying to understand how much the rising cost of fuel has affected the CCSD’s budget
Methodology: Each month there are 3 payments made. The amount of fuel used is divided by department and by type. I started by picking an expenditure that was ONLY gasoline and divided the total gallons into the amount paid ($$), to get average price per gallon ($pgg):
($$/g=$pgg)
Then I multiplied the total gallons of gasoline (tgg) by the average price per gallon to get the amount spent on gasoline that month ($gm):
($ppg * tgg=$gm)
Next, I subtracted amount spent on gasonline for the month ($gm) from the total expended on fuel for the month ($tfm) to get how much was spent on diesel for the month.
($tfm - $gm = $dm)
I divided this result by the number of gallons of diesel used in the month (gd) to get the average price of diesel per gallon for the month ($pgd).
($dm/gd=$pgd)
From there it’s a hop skip and a jump to the rest of the numbers.
Whew! I think I’ve earned myself a Bombay Sapphire Martini with a yummy garlic stuffed olive drowning in it. Want one?
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Tags: Cambria, CCSD, comparison, diesel, fuel, methodology, pricing
Meeting Behavior - Are We Grown-ups or Not?
At the same meeting Board President Joan Cobin proudly described how much more professional the CCSD has become, the General Manager and Board were distinctly unprofessional, even a bit childish and spiteful. As the end of the meeting drew near and only 3 people remained waiting to make their public comment, the General Manager interrupted Tina Dickason’s three minutes to show a video that was “evidence” proving Ms. Dickason was making a false accusation during her public comment time. You can listen to the exchange on slo-span.org’s website. This is not the place to go into the details, so I’ll just say that it seemed like the CCSD had planned an ambush. Why so defensive? They must have more important things to do than make a big deal out of this - near the end of a long meeting. But lets go back to the beginning….
President Cobin set the tone for the meeting right off the bat by reminding everyone that this was a government meeting and shouting from the back of the room is inappropriate. “If people want to speak, they need to fill out a speaker form and turn it in.” I understand and support President Cobin’s desire to have an orderly meeting. And clearly outlining the rule of behavior for all in attendance is an important step in that direction. In my opinion, President Cobin’s tone set up a confrontational atmosphere and may have served to put those in attendance feeling a bit defensive, since she seemed to imply that the public didn’t know the rules or couldn’t be civil or polite. But I should also mention that President Cobin does get it right, too. Not too long after the behavior preamble, she asked if anyone from the public had any questions they would like to ask Dave Flynn from County Public Works. Mr. Flynn was there to give a status report on the Cambria Drive and Moonstone Beach Bridge projects. What would have made this opportunity even better would have been a brief statement before he reported to let people know they would be able to ask questions - then someone might have had one.
This post isn’t meant to read as an Anti-President Cobin. It is a critique of the public meetings I have attended. Running a meeting professionally and effectively isn’t easy. This post isn’t a complaint, but rather an attempt to analyze the situation to figure out how it could work better (other than having everyone agree on everything).
Perhaps a preamble at the start of each meeting that is dispassionate, but clear. I’d suggest:
“Welcome to the June 26 meeting of the CCSD Board of Directors. Any member of the public may address the board on any item of interest within the jurisdiction during public comment, near the end of the meeting. Comment on agenda items will be invited when the item is being considered. Comment Request Forms are available on the table. If you wish to comment, fill out a form (including the agenda item number) and bring it up to Kathy Choate, who will bring the request to me. We usually have a full agenda at our monthly meetings, so we ask that you try to limit your comments to 3 minutes. The board will listen to all comments, however in compliance with the Brown Act, the Board cannot take any action on an item not on the agenda. I’d like to remind everyone the CCSD prefers to act professionally. Side conversations can be disruptive, so if you must, please take those conversations outside. Thank you. “
I’ve been regularly attending the CCSD meetings for less than a year, but it seems to me that the community would benefit from some clear policies on public participation. This is especially true after the June meeting public comment chaos. Many of the situations where emotions were inflamed happened because a comment was less a comment and more a question, often asked for clarity in understanding the situation or issue. These questions are handled the same as the comments - with a thank you for your comment and the announcement of the next speaker. A specific procedure for responding to questions from the community on items on the agenda could eliminate much of the frustration. Obviously, every situation is unique, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a process.
I suggest a policy and addition to the meeting preamble above something like this:
“If you have a question about an item on the agenda, please fill out a public comment form with the item’s agenda number noted and give it to Kathy Choate, district clerk. You may write your question on the form or you can come to the podium when recognized to ask. Some questions may get answered right away. Whenever possible, questions from the public will be answered before the meeting adjourns. If an answer is not given before the meeting adjourns, the answer will be provided in writing at the next regularly scheduled meeting. If the inquiring person has given their mailing address or email on the Comment Request Form, a copy of the written answer will be provided to them. If the need for an answer is urgent, the Inquirer should contact the General Manager to make an appointment to get the information.”
Of course, I am not on the Board or CCSD staff. But as a member of the community, I have a vested interest in improving our ability to communicate and participate in the Board of Directors’ meetings. In my opinion, any steps toward better communication and encouraging public participation are steps that will build trust and confidence on all sides.
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