On issues relating to infrastructure or the environment (or on almost any public matter) not all county residents are likely to see things the same way. For county officials who have decision-making and project implementation responsibilities, this can cause headaches. Increasingly, however, new approaches are being found to successfully engage the public in getting projects done, and usually done better.Read more »
"As opposed to the model where the public works department comes up with a plan and then runs it by the community, we went to the community to find out what they wanted first," says redevelopment agency Strong Neighborhoods Manager Laura Lam.Read more »
San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Bruce Gibson, his staff, and public works staff from the county have embarked on an unprecedented civic engagement effort during the past two years in order to gather public input and support for a long needed community wastewater system in the unincorporated community of Los Osos, which is currently served entirely by septic tanks.Read more »
The city of Thousand Oaks, a planned community just north of Los Angeles, is known for low crime rates, high property values, and of course, their many oak trees. According to deputy public works director Jay Spurgin, "T.O.," residents are regularly asked to weigh in on planning public works projects. Spurgin shared some recent examples of how the city is reaching out to solicit educated public input while planning neighborhood improvement projects.Read more »
American Canyon is a small but rapidly growing city in southern Napa County. Although it is a relatively young city (incorporated in 1992), there is already an established tradition of civic engagement there, according to city manager Richard Ramirez.Read more »
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