COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

COUNTY MANAGER’S OFFICE

DATE:

March 19, 2007

BOARD MEETING DATE:

March 27, 2007

SPECIAL NOTICE/HEARING:

None

VOTE REQUIRED:

Majority

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

John L. Maltbie, County Manager

SUBJECT:

Shared Vision 2010: Report on Community Conversations

RECOMMENDATION:

Accept the progress report on Shared Vision 2010: Community Conversations

VISION ALIGNMENT:

Commitment: Responsive, effective and collaborative government

Goal 20: Government decisions are based on careful consideration of future impact, rather than temporary relief or immediate gain.

BACKGROUND:

In 1999, the Board of Supervisors initiated a “visioning process” to give residents the opportunity to define a shared vision for the future of San Mateo County asking the questions: What will the county be like in a decade? What do we want it to look like? San Mateo County has under gone tremendous change over the past fifty years. Gone are the 1950’s sleepy suburban bedroom communities, giving way to vibrant, diverse communities, home to leading edge industries. With these changes come new challenges. The Board’s visioning process provides a way to engage the community to plan for future decisions and to respond to these new challenges.

Shared Vision 2010

The Board set out to create a shared community vision and foster the desire of residents to work together to realize the vision. Through a series of workshops the Board constructed a framework - people, place, prosperity and partnerships. Based upon on that framework a series of community forums were conducted. In 2000, over a six-month period residents were encouraged to voice their opinion by attending forums or participating through an online survey. Participants actively discussed their visions for the future and voted to prioritize the plan and set measurable goals. Out of that community dialogue ten commitment with 25 goals were adopted as Shares Vision 2010, to paint a picture of what San Mateo should look like in a decade.

Since the adoption of Shared Vision in 2001, the County has implemented Outcome Based Management; policies and programs are aligned; and new initiatives report on their contribution to achieving the vision plan.

In July 2005, the Board made a commitment to undertake a series of community conversations. The purpose of the community conversations is to inform, involve, and collaborate with our diverse stakeholders and to more fully engage the community in the governance of the county. The following is a progress report on the series of community conversations that were accomplished over the past year with the support and involvement of numerous community partners. Additionally, the report includes a summary of the outcome strategies emanating from the community conversations.

PEOPLE
Women’s Criminal Justice Summit

A collaborative effort, the San Mateo County Women’s Criminal Justice Summit, held on February 27, 2007, drew 275 participants to the Oracle Corporation Conference Center in Redwood Shores for powerful presentation son the value of evidence-base correctional system reforms, the need for gender-responsive training, programming and facilities and an inspiring look at successful programs. The forum culminated in an hour-long facilitate participant discussion on strategies our community should consider in improving the outcomes for women and their children in the criminal justice system:

• Support funding for community-based reentry and transitional services, including health care, housing, job training, substance abuse and mental health treatment with coordinated case management;

• Enhance training to integrate gender-responsive strategies throughout the correctional system from initial assessment, to treatment programs and including facilities, with sufficient capacity;

• Expand alternative sentencing options;

• Coordinate policy, programs and services that support the children and families of incarcerated women; and

• Establish an inclusive community-stakeholder work group charged with developing a strategic action plan, oversee its implementation and report on outcomes for women’s criminal justice system reforms.

Co-sponsors of the Women’s Criminal Justice Summit included: the District Attorney, Sheriff, Health Department, Mental Health, Human Services Agency, Alcohol and Other Drug, Medical Center, San Mateo Commission on the Status of Women, Domestic Violence Council, Youth Commission, the San Mateo County Bar Association/Private Defender Program, Service League/Hope House and the Women’s Recovery Association.

PARTNERSHIPS
More Livable San Mateo County

On March 13, 2006 Dr. Richard Jackson, a distinguished public health official challenged us all to take steps to reduce the damaging impacts of our “super sized” society has on our health. More than 250 participants packed into the San Mateo County Event Center for Jackson’s compelling message of the costs that the built environment has on our lives. Medical experts agree that obesity increases the risk for a number of health hazards, including heart disease, stroke, type-2 diabetes, depression, arthritis and many cancers including breast, colon, and prostate. More Livable San Mateo Count’s outcome was a renewed call to action to improve health outcomes and build community. Some of the key strategies identified during the facilitated discussion were:

ü Support prevention programs that educate school children on the value of healthy lifestyles;

• Improve resident access to healthy, fresh foods;

ü Advocate “snack and or alcohol taxes” to fund health programs;

• Include health official(s) in land use decision-making process;

• Model patterns of development and redevelopment that promote physical activity and discourage automobile dependency throughout the County’s general plan update/revision;

ü Encourage cities to adopt patterns of development and redevelopment that promote physical activity and discourage automobile dependency.

Co-sponsors of More Livable San Mateo County included: Environmental Services Agency, Health Department, Environmental Health, Housing Department, Human Services Agency, Hospital Consortium of San Mateo County, San Mate County Farm Bureau, San Mateo County Convention and Visitor Bureau, San Mateo County School Boards Association, Children NOW, Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center, SAMCEDA, San Mateo County Transit District, San Mateo County League of Women Voters, San Mateo County Medical Association, Sustainable San Mateo County and Kaiser Permanente.

PLACE
Dedicated to Housing

On November 30, 2006 affordable housing advocates came together to identify dedicated revenue sources to fund California’s local housing trusts. There are some 35 local housing trusts in California effectively leveraging public and private funds to address critical housing needs. Housing trusts distribute funds to increase the supply of affordable housing, to help build new or rehabilitate older housing, assist families in buying a home or rental assistance. Housing trusts need a stable, predictable revenue so long-term development plans can be made and fulfilled. The 125 participants identified the following revenue strategies:

ü Local-option increase in the document recording fee;

ü Carve-out a percentage of the state housing bond proceeds;

ü Advocate ability to pool local redevelopment funds for affordable housing;

• Authorize a countywide local payroll tax;

• Increase and dedicate a portion of the State Bank and Corporation Tax.

Co-sponsors of the Dedicated to Housing Forum: San Mateo County’s Housing Endowment and Regional Trust (HEART), Housing Department, C/CAG, Assemblyman Gene Mullin, Center for Community Change, Charities Housing, Housing Trust of Santa Clara County, San Diego Housing Commission, California Non-Profit Housing, Peninsula Interfaith Action (PIA) and San Mateo County Association of Realtors.

ü Strategy Acted On

• In Progress

PROSPERTIY
Globalization of the Regions Economy: Sustaining the Competitive Edge

Partnering with the education and business community, a community conversation on San Mateo County’s ability to sustain its competitive economic position in a fiercely global economy is planned for 2007. Improving opportunities for working families and children and the continued success of the Bay Area region’s leading edge industries requires access to improved education and a skilled, trained and competitive workforce.

In December 2006, the National Center on Education and the Economy released the Report of the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce, entitled Tough Choices or Tough Times. This report challenges us all to rethink the educational system to ensure the nation’s children are prepared to not just success, but rather to excel in today’s highly competitive global economy. No place is this more true than in the Bay Area, where our leading innovative industries, including technology, biotechnology, medical research, nano-technology and research and media pioneers, all reliant upon a highly skilled, educated, culturally competent workforce, in global markets. Sustaining the Competitive Edge community conversation will focus on strategies that would enrich our workforce and support our children’s success in a global economy.

Co-sponsors include: San Mateo County Community College District, San Mateo County Office of Education, SAMCEDA, San Mateo Chamber of Commerce, San Mateo County School Boards Association, City of South San Francisco.

DISCUSSION
Educate, Engage and Empower

These forums provide an opportunity for the public to become more fully informed of the complex and challenging issues confronting the community. They engaged the community in problem solving through a participatory process and foster greater public support for the solution strategies and new initiatives. These forums help to better educate, involve, engage and empower the community in the governance of the county. Whether the issue is the alarming health care costs from a fast-food- eating docile society, jail over crowding or the ongoing demand for affordable housing, public participation through community conversations provides an important opportunity for residents, County departments, and community stakeholders to collaborate in setting the future course of the county.

NEXT STEPS
Shared Vision 2025

Shared Vision 2010 was initiated nearly eight years ago with the Board establishing the framework of people, place, prosperity and partnerships and the community forums establishing the 10 commitments and 25 goals. It is timely to prepare a comprehensive review and update of the Shared Vision 2010 plan. Collaborative Economics has been retained to the assist the Board in a new “community visioning’ process that will include: review of the current 2010 vision, commitment, goals and measures; identify strategic action priorities; and design a process to charter one or more strategic action priorities. An inclusive community steering committee will be formed to guide the process and continue to expand ownership of the future vision and strategic action plans.

FISCAL IMPACT:

None.