EXHIBIT 1-A
DRAFT MINUTES
Monterey Peninsula Water Management District
Public Outreach Committee
October 23, 2007
Call to Order
The meeting was called to order at 9:27 AM in the District conference room.
Committee members present: Michelle Knight, Chair
Kristi Markey
Committee members absent: Alvin Edwards
District staff members present: David Berger, General Manager
Comments from the Public
No comments received.
Action Items
1. Receive
Minutes of October 3, 2007 Committee Meetings
On a motion by Director Markey and second by Director Knight, the minutes were received on a vote of 2 - 0.
2. Review
MPWMD Public Outreach Video Produced by District Staff
The committee reviewed the video. It was suggested that the list of credits at the end of the video be amended to acknowledge the Board of Directors for supporting the project, instead of acknowledging the Public Outreach Committee.
3. Review and
Consideration of Draft Public Outreach Plan
The committee reviewed the Draft Public Outreach Plan and suggested that staff amend the report as outlined in the list below. The committee requested a final review of the revised plan prior to submitting it for Board approval.
A. The committee proposed that a recommendation be made to the Board to establish a Legislative Committee, as described in the Legislative Outreach section of the Public Outreach Plan.
B. The committee expressed support for updating the District’s website as outlined in the PowerPoint presentation submitted by Inder Osahan, Chief Technology Officer. The committee suggested that: (1) the District’s website should be renamed as mpwmd.org; (2) the website should offer applicants the opportunity to complete permit applications and pay fines online; and (3) the website update should be incorporated into the Public Outreach Plan.
C. Other suggestions for changes to the Public Outreach Plan are listed here. (1) Main headings could be modified, and the text should be changed to bulleted format. Description of plan components should be simple and brief. (2) Include a section on the purpose of the Public Outreach program. (3) Under the heading of Strategic Issues Outreach, a bullet should be added stating that staff will maintain a current list of garden shops and landscape architects. This will allow for targeted mailings when necessary. (4) Under the heading School, Community and Special Event Participation, the historical perspective in the second paragraph on page 13 should not be part of the Plan. That information could be summarized to say: “The Board recognizes the importance of having an ongoing outreach to the public. To that end…..” and bulleted points could follow. (5) Under the new heading of Community Presentations, an additional bullet could be Event Participation. A new bullet titled Educational Booth could be added with a sub-bullet that reads, “maintain a booth and seek opportunities to display it at Monterey County Fair and other special events.” A new bullet “Public Speaking Training” could be added that lists training for the Board and training for staff. The Board should be trained on how to interact with the media. Staff requires more in-depth training. (6) The Open House should be a separate bullet. (7) Production and distribution of the MPWMD Annual Report should be mentioned in the Plan. An associated bullet could say, “continue to prepare and distribute to every household in the District.” (8) Appointment of a Public Outreach Committee to analyze and engage in special projects to do outreach, could be a new bulleted item. (9) Under the heading of Community Advisory Groups, a list of community groups the Board interacts/communicates with such as the Carmel River Steelhead Association should be added. (10) Under the heading of Communicating with the Public, the information could be summarized and one bullet could be, “Televise Board meetings and insure broadcast throughout the District. Or, there could be a bullet, “Televise Board Meetings” that includes sub-bullets with more details. The weekly letter from the General Manager to the Board should be a separate bullet under this category. A bullet should be added, stating that District documents are available to the public. (11) The Legislative Outreach section should be removed from the report.
Set Next Meeting Date
The committee agreed to meet between November 26 and November 30, 2008. Staff will coordinate with the committee members on selecting a date.
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at approximately 10:30 AM
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