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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06. Debrief on inaugural session of Central San Academy6. SCD Central Contra Costa Sanitary District June 30, 2016 TO: ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE VIA: ROGER S. BAILEY, GENERAL MANAGER FROM: CHRISTINA GEE, SENIOR ADMINISTRATIVE TECHNICIAN CAT' SUBJECT: INAUGURAL SESSION OF CENTRAL SAN ACADEMY For six weeks between April 5 and May 10, 2016, Central San hosted twenty-three members of the public for the inaugural session of the Central Contra Costa Sanitary District Citizens Academy (Central San Academy). The following is an analysis of this program, which will be used to improve future sessions. Participants There were originally 28 applicants to the program, but, due to personal reasons, five dropped out of the session before it began. The remaining 23 participants were enthusiastic and inquisitive, and they came from a variety of backgrounds. Surprisingly, only four of these 23 participants were retired; in fact, almost half of the participants (11) were working professionals in the private sector, including a recycling coordinator, regulatory consultant, attorney, caretaker, electronic health records entrepreneur, landscape contractor, and hospice nurse. Six participants were working professionals in the public sector, including a water quality analyst, stormwater manager, communications specialist, land surveyor, and staffer for a County Supervisor. Two participants work as contract temporary employees at our Household Hazardous Waste Facility (HHWF). The following chart visualizes the professional backgrounds of the participants, showing how the majority (14) came from a private sector background, whether in their current jobs or their career before they retired: Central Contra Costa Sanitary District Inaugural Session of Central San Academy Page 2 of 6 HHW Facility Temps (2 participants) 9% Public Sector (7 participants, incl. 1 retiree) 30% Marketing Participants' Professional Background Private Sector (14 participants, incl. 3 retirees) 61% • Private Sector ■ Public Sector HHW Facility Temps In the months leading up to Central San Academy's launch, flyers were sent to Sustainable Contra Costa, local chambers of commerce, City offices, and college -level educational institutions. Approaching the beginning of the semester, staff was able to speak to the Rossmoor City Manager about the program, and Rossmoor included information on Central San Academy in their community newsletter. Central San also issued a press release and published an ad in the Contra Costa Times. Staff contacted Shell and Tesoro Refineries for an exploratory conversation on possible collaborative opportunities. For differing reasons, they elected not to participate in the program at that time. Diablo Valley College's Emeritus College program ran the course in their Spring 2016 brochure, which yielded one participant. John F. Kennedy University posted the flyer on their campus and expressed interest in a future partnership opportunity. Collaborating with them in a future session could help bring in a younger, private -sector demographic. As a measure to track which were the most effective marketing methods, participants were asked to indicate on their application how they were referred to Central San Academy. The responses are indicated in the chart below: N:\GM\Christina\Central San Academy\Board Presentations and Prep Work\Admin Committee Spring 2016 Debrief Memo.docx Central Contra Costa Sanitary District Inaugural Session of Central San Academy Page 3 of 6 How Participants Heard of Central San Academy Rossmoor Community Newsletter 9% - 2 participants HHWF Brochure Handouts 13% - 3 participants Contra Costa Times Ad 30% - 7 participants Referral/Word of Mouth/As a Customer 22% - 5 participants Diablo Valley College Emeritus Program 4% -1 participant Feedback from the Participants Public Agency Office Posting or Email Newsletter 22% - 5 participants ■ HHWF Brochure Handouts ■ Referral/Word of Mouth/As a Customer _ Public Agency Office Posting or Email Newsletter ■ Diablo Valley College Emeritus Program ■ Contra Costa Times Ad ■ Rossmoor Community Newsletter Central San Academy was partially founded to create a closed feedback loop with the District's customer base. Through their questions and comments, the participants indicated that they were most interested in the complexities of running and expanding the recycled water program, the wastewater cleaning process, the future of water, and how the public's decreased use of potable water during the drought will continue to impact Central San. By the end of the program, the participants recognized the importance of outreach, interagency communication, and infrastructure maintenance, encouraging the District to continue working as it does in these arenas. Additionally, by completing a budgeting activity, they were impressed by the challenges that an agency like Central San faces in balancing its competing interests with limited resources in funding. The topics that seemed to surprise participants the most were the significant costs of maintaining infrastructure, including the potential costs of complying with future regulatory requirements, and the creative ways the District recycles and reduces energy use and waste (e.g., sending ash to Scott's and using naturally occurring bacteria to N:\GM\Christina\Central San Academy\Board Presentations and Prep Work\Admin Committee Spring 2016 Debrief Memo.docx Central Contra Costa Sanitary District Inaugural Session of Central San Academy Page 4 of 6 degrade waste in the treatment process). The curriculum should continue to emphasize these ideas. Below is a sampling of the notes of appreciation received from some of the participants: "Central San has an amazing group of employees who have enlightened us while at the same time entertaining us! It's interesting and fun and the whole team has managed to put together a great learning experience for those of us who may know a little about wastewater but don't have the depth of information that has been provided." - Sue Welsh "...thank you for a very fun and informative Academy. Each session was well organized and the food you supplied was great. The speakers were very knowledgeable and interesting. I think [Central San] is a very well run organization and has served the customers well over the years." - Steve Wilson "I think the Public Relations push with a Public Safety and Environmental Stewardship emphasis is Central Sanitation's hallmark as a Public Utility." - Jess Pawlak "I appreciate all the time and effort by everyone. I really learned a lot about what you do and why and how you do it" - Heather Reid "I learned a lot about the function of the system and how important it is. The instructors were very knowledgeable and interesting, and [it was interesting to see] where our money goes." - Ed Hartman Areas of Success The District's hospitality during this program was one of its hallmarks. Many participants remarked that they found that staff and the Board Members were approachable and kind, they appreciated being provided with a meal, and felt they were "treated like royalty." Creating this welcoming atmosphere no doubt correlated with how vocal and involved the participants were throughout the class. The assistance provided by Buildings & Grounds' signage, which directed the students to the parking lot and Multi - Purpose Room, also did not go unnoticed by the participants. The curriculum was well balanced and organized with a good flow, and the presenters were notably prepared and enthusiastic. Areas of Potential Improvement In the class surveys, participants singled out the following as their favorite portions of the course: the laboratory demonstration, the facilities tour, and the budgeting game. The PowerPoint presentation that garnered the most individual mentions was Risk Management's, which was dynamic, humorous, and utilized more graphics than text. This indicates the need for more visual aids and activities to better entertain the N:\GM\Christina\Central San Academy\Board Presentations and Prep Work\Admin Committee Spring 2016 Debrief Memo.docx Central Contra Costa Sanitary District Inaugural Session of Central San Academy Page 5 of 6 participants and more opportunities for the participants to connect with one another and Central San representatives, while maintaining the same level of knowledge transfer. While the strategic goal and budgeting activities were well received, they could have benefited from more time allotted toward fully explaining the context to the participants. The Treatment Plant tour also faced time limitations. With so much to cover, the tour should be scheduled for a longer period of time and possibly expanded to visit more areas of the District. Time management was the most formidable challenge to Central San Academy, and the curriculum should be less rushed in order to explore ideas more in depth and allow more time for group interaction. To better facilitate participant interaction, Communication Services & Intergovernmental Relations Manager Emily Barnett recently suggested testing a mobile -optimized engagement system called i>clicker, equipped with Reef polling software. With their personal electronic devices or with an i>clicker remote to be supplied by Central San, participants would be able to respond to polling questions posed by the presenters. This could create more opportunities for presenters to connect with the participants and better methods for assessing how the class is reacting to the material. There is also potential to diversify the group of participants by advertising more heavily in Rossmoor via their community newsletter and by forming a partnership with an educational institution, like John F. Kennedy University. There was no single method of marketing that attracted an astounding number of private sector applicants, but the most effective was the Contra Costa Times ad, which yielded 7 participants; therefore, it would be advisable to run another ad next year. Curriculum Expansion The surveys indicated that participants would have liked to have learned more about the sewer pipes, on-site energy production, environmental compliance inspections and events of non-compliance, and the work Collection System Operations (CSO) crews perform in the field, to highlight the need for pollution prevention. Participants also mentioned that they would have wanted to hear about the background of each presenter, how they came to work at Central San and what qualified them for the job. This information would serve those who attend Central San Academy in the hopes of entering the wastewater industry, and it would give the presentations a more personal feel. Speakers could perhaps begin each presentation with this information. Impact of the Academy Though it may not be visible, Central San Academy has had an effect on the community. Many participants stated that they wanted to gain knowledge to pass on to their customers or to their friends and family. This creates greater awareness of the services Central San provides (one participant said they might start using recycled water for irrigation, as a result of attending the Academy) and explains why we do what N:\GM\Christina\Central San Academy\Board Presentations and Prep Work\Admin Committee Spring 2016 Debrief Memo.docx Central Contra Costa Sanitary District Inaugural Session of Central San Academy Page 6 of 6 we do. The effect of the Academy has also stretched toward our fellow public agencies. One participant, who works for the County, stated that she was taking ideas and inspiration back to her agency. Given the passion with which the participants came to Central San Academy, and how they have spoken so highly of Central San since the program ended, the Academy successfully produced 23 new ambassadors for Central San in the community. Central San Academy also helped serve the District's Strategic Plan. Being one of the few if not the first of its kind in this area, the Academy has further cemented Central San as a leader in the wastewater industry. It also allowed Central San to be a transparent agency, providing exceptional and unique customer service by receiving feedback from 23 members of the public that will help the District better understand and meet the needs of its customers. Spring 2017 A waitlist has been started for the next semester, including the 5 people who dropped out of the Spring 2016 session before it was underway and 12 people who have already submitted applications for the next Academy session. In addition, the Spring 2016 participants referred a total of 8 potential applicants via their surveys. They will be requested to refer applicants again next year. With these modifications to the curriculum and marketing strategy, the goal is to innovate the program, build upon its success, and coordinate a smoother and more thorough set of classes, with an even more diverse group of participants. N:\GM\Christina\Central San Academy\Board Presentations and Prep Work\Admin Committee Spring 2016 Debrief Memo.docx