ITEM: INFORMATIONAL ITEMS/STAFF REPORTS

23. QUARTERLY PUBLIC INFORMATION PROGRAM REPORT

Meeting Date: January 29, 2004 Budgeted: N/A

Program/Line Item No.: N/A

Staff Contact: Henrietta Stern Cost Estimate: N/A

General Counsel Approval: N/A

Committee Recommendation: N/A

CEQA Compliance: N/A

The purpose of the MPWMD Public Information Program is to more effectively communicate factual information about the District mission, its activities, and water issues to the public. The following paragraphs highlight activities in the October-December 2003 period. The next quarterly report will be prepared for the April 2004 meeting.

Public Outreach/Communications Committee -- The committee members in Fall 2003 were Directors Molly Erickson, Judi Lehman and David Pendergrass. The committee worked with a public outreach consultant (Thom Akeman) to prepare the Fall 2003 newsletter, which was published in November 2003. The new committee members for year 2004 are Larry Foy, Michelle Knight (Chairperson) and Dave Potter, with Alvin Edwards as alternate.

District Staff Action -- During this reporting period, District staff continued to write news releases on Board action and notable District activities, summarize major District activities each month, answer questions from the media and general public on a variety of subjects, maintain the District website (www.mpwmd.dst.ca.us), assist the public outreach consultant, and related activities.

District staff and consultants hosted a quarterly public update on the Water Supply Project EIR on October 30, 2003. District staff continues to respond to many queries about water distribution system regulations, water availability in Hidden Hills, and other water-related issues through a variety of media (phone, e-mail, letter). Staff assisted the public outreach consultant by providing factual information on a variety of water-related topics.

Several District staff members regularly update information on the District website. A staff team is working on a comprehensive re-design of the website as time allows.

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