ITEM: INFORMATIONAL
ITEMS/STAFF REPORTS
27. QUARTERLY
PUBLIC INFORMATION PROGRAM REPORT
Meeting Date: April
19, 2004 Budgeted:
N/A
Program/Line Item No.: 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 January-March 2004 period. The next quarterly report will be prepared for the July 2004 meeting.
Public Outreach/Communications Committee -- The committee members as of January 2004 are Michelle Knight (Chairperson), Larry Foy and Kristie Markey, with Dave Potter as alternate. The committee met on March 8 and reviewed the text for the District’s annual report for calendar year 2003, and recommended approval. The committee recommended that the next newsletter be issued in mid-2004 so that more substantive information on progress on water augmentation and conservation/permitting activities could be reported.
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), and related activities. As of March 15, 2004, all regular Board meetings are televised on Cable Channel 25 from the Monterey City Council Chambers.
District staff and consultants prepared a Draft 2003 District Annual Report, which was accepted by the Board at its March 15, 2004 meeting. Publication of the annual report should be completed by late April 2004. Staff assisted the public outreach consultant for the 2003 Annual Report by providing factual information on a variety of water-related topics.
On March 31, 2004, the District held a workshop on the results of hydrogeologic tests in the Sand City/Fort Ord coastal areas that affect the feasibility and production capacity for MPWMD's proposed local desalination project. Several options for near-term action on the Board Review Draft EIR were presented, and a variety of questions from the Board and public were answered. (See Item 30 for more information).
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.
U:\staff\word\boardpacket\2004\2004boardpacket\20040419\InfoItems_Reports\27\item27.doc