There’s a new report out from the
California Travel and Tourism Commission that, among other
things, points out that tourism in California has rebounded to
pre-recession levels and once again, people are visiting the
Golden State in droves. Preliminary estimates indicate travelers
spent just shy of $110 Billion in California in 2013. That’s
great news. Tourism is a huge boost for California’s economy. But
it does make me wonder, what is it about California that is so
special?
The Institute for Local Government (ILG) has worked hard over the
years to help local agencies increase the level of public
engagement in their communities. Authentic public engagement has
the potential to help positively transform communities. Engaging
the public early in the decision-making process can help agencies
avoid costly pitfalls and mistakes. Constituents who have helped
shape a proposed policy, project or program typically have a
better understanding of the issues at hand and the reasoning
behind the final decision.
Tuesday’s statewide primary election yielded some interesting
results: perhaps record low voter turnout, a new influx of
campaign cash in the form of independent expenditures for state
legislative races, and some real nail-biter results, with a
number of races around the state too close to call. Perhaps the
least surprising news of the night: Proposition 42 passed
handily.
Yesterday marked another Election Day. And while a lot of
California election pundits were focused on the new top-two
system, it was business as usual in the 122 supervisorial races
across our 58 counties. All it takes is 50 percent plus 1 vote
and you’re the winner.
I grew up a 4-H kid, doing projects, writing reports, going to
meetings and delivering presentations. We raised lambs, and
showing them at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma and the Sonoma
County Fair in Santa Rosa were always highlights of the year. I
really loved the Fairs, the rides, the food, the people and the
animals too. But I think I also loved the sense of autonomy.
There’s historically been a pioneer spirit in Mono County. That
spirit is alive and well to this day; you see it as you travel
along Highway 395. You hear it when you stop and talk to the
residents of communities such as Bridgeport and Lee Vining.
That pioneer spirit is also alive and well in the Mono County
Behavioral Health Department, where the staff is urged to be
creative and look for new ways to engage clients and provide
services.
“One barrier you need to take off the table is “well, we don’t
have money to do it.” It doesn’t take any money to sit down at a
table and talk with people. That’s a freebie, with a huge
payoff.” With those words, Nevada County Health Director Michael
Heggarty sums up their approach to providing a system of care for
kids, teens, and their families. They have broken down silos,
ignored the barriers and are working across several different
organizations to provide a network of services that starts with
mental health, but has grown into much, much more.
In the inner sanctum of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Offices,
there’s a display case that houses numerous department artifacts
dating back to the 1800s: photographs, badges and handwritten
incident logs help tell the department’s storied past. Captain
Chris Lathrop likes to stop and take in the department’s rich
history. But Captain Lathrop’s focus is in the future – and one
mobile application in particular that is making a big difference
in how the department fights crime.
When Riverside County Medical Center staff compared its rate of
surgical site infections (SSI) to other hospitals around the
country, they realized they had an issue. The hospital’s ratio of
infections was more than 200 percent above the recognized
baseline. Something had to be done; something was done. And the
result has been an amazing turnaround for the Medical Center that
has resulted in improved patient care, heightened patient safety
and a reduction in medical care costs.
The county programs CSAC recognizes with our Challenge Awards all
have one thing in common: they represent the best practices
counties put to use every day serving the people of their
community. The award given to Stanislaus County is a little
different. It recognizes a truly great program—and also the
extraordinary effort made to save the program in the face of
severe budget cuts. This is the story of the Stanislaus County
Clean and Sober living program.
Most of us have swatted away marauding mosquitos, attacking from
the sky—well now the mosquitos have to watch out for the air
power too. In San Bernardino County, the Mosquito Vector Control
Program is collaborating with the County’s Sheriff’s Aviation
Division, and using state-of-the-art technology to identify
potential mosquito breeding sites: unmaintained swimming pools.
I admit, there are times when I wish it was a little simpler to
use my smart phone to just make a phone call. But for every time
I struggle to find my way back to the keyboard, there are at
least five times when I am thankful for this app, or that
function that makes my life easier. What was the name of that
restaurant again? Is it on 9th or 10th street? Where is
the nearest gas station? Smart phones are supposed to make our
lives easier with that type of information at our fingertips, and
now thanks to the Sacramento County Registrar of Voters, your
smart phone can even make it easier for you to participate as a
voter!
Clinical therapists are taking their jobs a few steps above and
beyond the typical call of duty in Riverside County. In fact,
they are taking them 39 feet beyond. That’s the length of
each of the three mobile clinics that the therapists themselves
drive out to different regions of Riverside County. It’s all part
of the County’s highly successful Prevention and Early
Intervention Mobile Services program.
Kids who end up in Juvenile Hall have done something illegal. Why
should their stay there be anything other than punishment? As the
head of Sonoma County’s Juvenile Hall told me, “The kids in here
today are going to get out, and they are going to be your
neighbors, and your kid’s classmates.” Punishment is part of it,
but so is rehabilitation. That’s why Sonoma County Juvenile Hall
has formed a unique partnership with the Boys and Girls Club in
their community.
To watch a video about San Bernardino County’s Making
Attendance a Priority program, click here.
Truancy is a major issue in many communities — and San
Bernardino is no exception. Truancy can also have
significant impacts beyond hindering education. According to the
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, “Dropouts
are poorly prepared to enter the workforce and require greater
expenditures for social services and criminal justice process
than do graduates.”
When Faythe Arredono talks about Tulare County’s Teen Digital
Media Lab, her eyes light up. That sparkle is only matched by the
teenagers who participate in the program. Ask the likes of
students Araceli Mendoza or Vincent Macareno and you can see why
this program has such a positive impact.
Everyone likes a “Win-Win” situation—a solution to a problem that
meets everyone’s needs. In Tehama County, they had a problem, and
the solution they came up with has been a “win” on several
levels. The AB 109 Auto Shop won a 2013 CSAC Challenge Award
because it is reducing the jail population, training inmates,
saving money for the Sheriff’s Department AND reducing costs and
downtime for other county departments when their vehicles need
maintenance and repairs. Here’s how it works.
They don’t need to spend money making their own apps. They just
put all their data online in an open format and everybody else
goes ahead and makes apps for themselves.
What’s more, these other people do it the way they want, so BART
doesn’t have to guess at what features and format its users want
an app to have. App developers (who are kind of experts at this)
make a bunch of apps and the people pick the one that gives them
what they want. All the incentives line up!
During the budget process the Legislature, famous for passing the
buck—or the bill in this case—reviews mandates it has placed on
local agencies. By law, Sacramento is required to fund any
mandate it imposes on local agencies but when the state’s coffers
run dry the Legislature routinely suspends or repeals specific
mandates and uses the money for something else. The state
currently owes about $1.8 billion to local governments for state
mandated programs.
This is not fair to local governments which are then are left
with some tough choices.
California’s 58 counties are diverse in so many ways: population,
geography, demographics, but they do share some commonalities —
in that they strive to make a difference for the people they
serve, and they do so in some incredibly creative ways. April is
National County Government Month – and during this period, CSAC
will be spotlighting a dozen innovative programs developed by
California counties.
We start Tuesday with a resourceful program out of Tehama County
that helps offenders develop job skills while saving the county
money.
