HomeMy WebLinkAbout11.a. Recap of Central San Academy Spring 2017 Session. Page 1 of 23
Item It.a.
Central Contra Costa Sanitary District
August 3, 2017
TO: HONORABLE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
FROM: CHRI STI NA GEE, SENIOR ADMINISTRATIVE TECHNICIAN
REVIEWED BY: ROGER S. BAILEY, GENERAL MANAGER
SUBJECT: RECAP OF CENTRAL SAN ACADEMY SPRING 2017 SESSION.
REVIEWED BYADMI NISTRATI ON COMMITTEE.
Every Tuesday between April 4 and May 9, 2017, Central San hosted members of the public for the
second session of its citizens academy, Central San Academy. This year, the Academy welcomed 36
participants to the six-week course, representing a 157% increase over the 23 participants in 2016. The
following is an analysis of this year's program.
Participants
Central San Academy attracted 56 applicants, but, largely due to scheduling conflicts or personal
commitments, 18 applicants withdrew before the program began. Two participants did not attend more
than two classes so are not included in the final count of 36. Coming from a variety of backgrounds, the
participants were intelligent, inquisitive and passionate about learning. The group contained the following:
• 9 engineers (4 of whom are retired)
• 8 volunteers with the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
• 3 former Town of Moraga Councilmembers/Mayors
• 3 Master Gardeners
3 CivicSpark Water Action Fellows
2 working on the Bay Area Regional Water Management Plan (BARWMP) Disadvantaged
Communities Program
1 working on Climate Action Planning and Sustainability measures for the Cities of Martinez
and Walnut Creek
• 1 Member of the City of Walnut Creek North Downtown Specific Plan Advisory Committee
• 1 Chair of the City of Walnut Creek Design Review Commission
• 1 volunteer for the Contra Costa County Sheriff and San Ramon Police Department
• 1 Wastewater Treatment Operator 111, currently working at Regional San
Chart 1 (Attachment 1)demonstrates the professional backgrounds of the participants. The majority(75%,
or 27 of 36 participants)came from the private sector(versus 25%, or 9 participants from the public
sector), whether in their current jobs or before they retired.
Chart 2 (Attachment 1)shows the participants' primary reasons for wanting to attend the Academy. This
information was requested in their applications. The majority(47%, or 17 of 36 participants) applied out of
August 3, 2017 Regular Board Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 89 of 132
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a general interest in how wastewater is treated.Another large contingent either cited an interest in
environmental issues (25%, or 9 out of 36)or a desire to be an advocate for Central San (17%, or 6 out of
36). These 15 participants (42% of the class)will likely become vocal ambassadors for Central San and
its contributions toward protecting the environment.
Chart 3 (Attachment 1)shows the city of residence of each participant. The majority(81%, or 29 of 36
participants) live in Central San's defined service area, while 7 participants (19%) do not.
Marketing
n the months leading up to Central San Academy, flyers were sent to local chambers of commerce, City
offices and Sustainable Contra Costa.Additionally, the Academy's press release was picked up by the
Walnut Creek Patch website and Community Focus newspaper.
Internally, brochures were displayed at the Headquarters Office Building lobby and Permit Counter and
were handed out by Household Hazardous Waste/Residential Recycled Water Fill Station staff.
Rossmoor included information on Central San Academy in the Rossmoor News community newspaper,
after which one of the Class of Spring 2016 alumni submitted a letter of recommendation to the editor.
The Academy was also plugged by General Manager Roger S. Bailey during an interview with Rossmoor
CEO Tim O'Keefe, which was televised on the Rossmoor TV channel starting on March 2, 2017, airing
ten times in one week. Despite these efforts, there did not appear to be a participant this year from
Rossmoor.
The Academy gained three participants from reaching out to CivicSpark, a Governor's Initiative
AmeriCorps program which builds capacity for local governments to address climate change and water
management issues in California. These three participants are working with local agencies in the area on
water and environment, as detailed on the first page of this memo.
Last year, Diablo Valley College's Emeritus College program ran the course in their Spring 2016
brochure, which yielded one participant. In the hope of attracting more college-age participants, this year,
Central San partnered with John F. Kennedy University(J F KU). J F KU advertised the course to their
Service Learning Initiative, which offered students the opportunity to combine 15 hours of Central San
Academy class time with 15 hours of a community service project. The project would be to design a
campaign to spread Central San's environmental messages. Unfortunately, this effort did not yield any
participants.
To gauge 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 Chart 4
(Attachment 1), showing that the Pipeline was by far the most effective driver.
Feedback from the Participants
Central San Academy was partially founded to create a closed feedback loop with Central San'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,
environmental issues, resource recovery, the future of wastewater and new technologies.
Participants were surprised to learn the significant costs of maintaining infrastructure and regulatory
requirements; the resourceful ways Central San recycles and reduces energy use and waste (e.g.,
sending ash to Scott's and producing its own energy); and how water conservation during the drought
impacted the flow.
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By the end of the program, the participants recognized the importance of outreach, interagency
communication in coordinating projects, transparency in local government, infrastructure maintenance and
meeting regulatory requirements, and they encouraged Central San to continue its superb work in these
arenas. They wished Central San could do more to control pollution at the source, through more outreach
on wipes clog pipes; fats, oils and grease; and proper pharmaceutical disposal.
As part of a group activity, the participants ranked the Board's Strategic Plan Goals as follows (in order of
importance, average score next to the Goal on a scale of 1 to 6, 1 being most important):
1. Maintain reliable infrastructure (2.1)
2. Meet regulatory requirements (2.7)
3. Be a fiscally sound and effective utility(3.5)
4. Highly trained and innovative workforce (3.6)
5./6. (Tie) Exceptional customer service (4.1) and
Embrace technology, innovation and environmental sustainability(4.1)
Included in this memo are emails with feedback from the participants themselves (Attachment 2), and
below is a sampling of the comments and notes of appreciation from the surveys and various emails:
• I find it really great to see a facility in which the employees seem to enjoy their jobs and coworkers
and wish it were the same where I work.
• Best smelling sewage treatment plant in the world!
• Excellent, engaging and interactive.
• Mr. Bailey is being an innovative thinker and is bringing a fresh set of fresh ideas to an old
organization.
• I believe this was so professional that everybody should take the class.
• Thank you for a marvelous, fascinating and incredibly polished Academy. I've enjoyed it immensely
and more importantly have learned a great deal about Central San and what it does. Well done!
• The District seems to do an excellent job. I am very impressed.
• Wonderful—so interesting and incredibly well put together.
• Thanks for a GREAT seminar. I learned much, and you folks have much to be proud of.
Areas of Success
Hospitality and transparency were two of the hallmarks of Central San Academy. Many participants
remarked that they found that staff and the Board Members were approachable and friendly. Creating this
welcoming atmosphere no doubt correlated with how vocal and involved the participants were throughout
the class. The curriculum was balanced and organized with a good flow, and the presenters were well
prepared and enthusiastic. Participants were exposed to staff from all walks of life at Central San:
chemists, Collection System Operations maintenance crews, Household Hazardous Waste technicians,
Environmental Compliance inspectors, and more.
The Academy also succeeded in attracting a strong group of participants from diverse backgrounds. One
participant, for example, lived in Singapore for many years and was able to talk positively about NEWater,
wastewater in Singapore that has been treated and used as potable water. By uniting this group, the
Academy has reinforced its existing alumni association with more active members of the community to be
ambassadors for Central San in their assorted networks.
Areas of Potential Improvement
Time management continued to be a challenge with this year's session. Due to time constraints, the
Academy did not execute three planned group activities. However, it should be noted that the surveys
indicated that this group of participants found the PowerPoint presentations more valuable than the group
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activities, contrary to the consensus last year.
Due to traffic, participants often trickled in past the 6:00 p.m. start time, so the curriculum should be
adjusted next year to allow for a late start. Since 6:00 appeared to be the most convenient time, the
Academy will continue to begin then and be held once a week for six weeks.
The participants enjoyed hearing about each other's backgrounds and exchanging ideas with each other,
so finding more time for them to do this would further help build community and camaraderie among the
group.
Curriculum Expansion
Based on the feedback from the participants, Collection System Operations (CSO)will be explored in
more depth. The participants wished they had more time with the staff and their trucks and liked hearing
about technology and innovation used to perform their work.Also, there will be more time allotted to
Planning and Applied Research, since the participants were keenly interested in new technologies.
Impact of the Academy
Though difficult to quantify, Central San Academy has had an effect on the community. Many of the
participants perform volunteer work, are graduates of other citizens academies or leadership programs, or
are involved with local government agencies. Each of these 36 participants is now an ambassador for
Central San. I n their surveys, participants indicated how they will be utilizing the information they learned.
Some responses were as follows:
• Give a presentation to his CERT class;
• Teach information on environmental protection to his son's troop of Boy Scouts;
• Spread the word about what it costs Central San to provide its services,
• Visit businesses that sell "flushable wipes" and ask them to sell alternative products;
• Talk about the recycled water program to their friends and neighbors;
• Volunteer at Central San, specifically to help with the elementary school educational programs (this
participant has an elementary teaching credential);
• Design her projects with Central San in mind (this participant is an architect); and
• Forward the class materials to a sustainability professor at St. Mary's College (this professor will
contact staff after the school period ends).
Participants also indicated in the survey how they will use the information they learned at the Academy.
Some responses were as follows:
• I will view financial issues I vote on regarding Central San more positively. I'm going to upgrade my
ancient lateral line. I'm going to tell others about the class.
• I will sign up for college classes based on the topics I found most interesting.
• Implement preventive maintenance at my home, watch what we flush, get or identify where the
overflow[cleanout] is at my house.
• Be a more educated customer and help others understand what happens after the flush (so to
speak).
• It helps me understand the big picture— especially given my involvement in environmental advocacy.
• To work with my son on his sustainable farm, share with elementary schools in Contra Costa County
and Alameda County.
Central San now has 59 alumni who can serve as volunteers at future events, external ambassadors for
Central San and an ad hoc focus group.An alumni association social media page is in the works, where
alumni can stay connected, share ideas with each other and keep apprised of Central San events.
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Central San Academy also helped with the execution of the Goals of the 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. In fact, Central San won the Exceptional Public Outreach and Advocacy Award from
the California Special Districts Association (CSDA) in 2016.
By pioneering this program, Central San has become a beacon for other wastewater agencies looking to
begin their own academy. Since the Academy launched, staff has provided information and advice to Napa
Sanitation District, Dublin San Ramon Services District, and Eastern Municipal Water District in Southern
California. Staff has also been asked to give a presentation on the Academy to the Contra Costa Special
Districts Association in July 2017.
The Academy allows Central San to continue to be a transparent agency, providing exceptional and unique
customer service by soliciting feedback from 36 members of the public. Their contributions help Central
San better understand and meet the needs of its customers.
Costs
The total cost of Central San Academy's 2017 session was estimated at$12,043.02, including class
materials and staff time.A line item was created in the Fiscal Year 2016-17 budget to track costs, and staff
was asked to code their time accordingly.As evidenced below, the cost to continue the program was
significantly lower than the cost to launch it.
2016 cost per participant (23 participants): $1,513.41
2017 cost per participant (36 participants): $334.53
Cost saving measures have been taken since last year, including not advertising in the East Bay Times,
which saved about$3,586.60.Also, binders and hard copies were replaced with a folder, a flash drive and
limited hard copy handouts. This was more environmentally friendly and saved an estimated $539.02 in
materials and printing costs. Staff attendance requiring overtime was limited to those performing
necessary tasks or providing expertise in their subject matter, and it is important to note that the majority of
the presenters were salaried managers and directors who did not receive overtime pay for their extended
workday.
Next Steps
At its June 20, 2017 meeting, the Administration Committee recommended continuing the program until
further notice with annual updates after every session. Should the Board elect to continue this program
indefinitely, Central San Academy can build upon the foundation created during the first two years. Next
year's goals will be to replicate the successes, address the areas for improvement and continue to run the
program in a cost effective manner.
Strategic Plan re-In
GOAL ONE: Provide Exceptional Customer Service
Strategy 1 - Foster Customer Engagement and Awareness
ATTACHMENTS:
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1. Charts 1-4
2. Emails from Participants
3. PowerPoint Presentation
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Chart 1 — Participants' Professional Backgrounds
4 private
sector
19 wo
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ati13 private
sector
4 public
sector
Chart 2 — Participants' Reasons for Attending the Academy
Reason fAttending
n terest i n Wastewater Treatme n t
Employment pportui
Page 8 of 23
Chart 3 — Participants' City of Residence
City of Residence
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Chart 4 — Participants' Source of Referral to the Academy
Source of Referral
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Christina Gee
From: Gary Miller <gary2201@gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, May 12, 2017 8:17 AM
To: Central San Academy; Christina Gee
Subject: CCCSD Academy
Just a personal THANKS for all that you and your fellow associates have done to make this a
wonderful experience. I have really enjoyed the last 6 weeks of the academy and now have a
completely different perspective of the intensive work that goes on at this facility. Every time
that I flush I envision what takes place as the waste products make their way through the miles
of pipe and eventually end up as good water going to the Bay.
It was a well thought out presentation every evening and the material covered showed the
intensive amount of daily work that goes into running and planning for the successful operating
of this award winning sanitation district. The weekly presentations demonstrated the dedication
of all staff members and their enthusiasm for their jobs. There were many of your staff
personal there every week that were not even parts of that weeks presentation and all were
willing to answer questions.
This was 6 weeks very well spent and I would recommend this experience to anyone.
It is with great excitement that I can say that I am a graduate of Turd
University)
Thanks and remember that every day is a good day.
Gary Miller
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Christina Gee
From: Julie Anderson <cullyjulie@yahoo.com>
Sent: Sunday, May 21, 2017 3:18 PM
To: Christina Gee
Subject: Thank you!!!
What an amazing class, experience, and challenge!! Many many thanks for Citizens Academy. Really well organized and
meaty-all information relevant and almost addicting- we all wanted more!! You treated us like royalty:)) Marvelous
meals, articulate employees and board members, beautiful certificates and extremely attractive well designed
handouts,thumb drives,folders, and even a carrying case!! I never dreamed it would be such an extraordinary first class
way to learn. You are exceptional!!
I can't thank you enough for all you and the others did. I hope I can continue to support and encourage the vision, the
mission of Central San.
Warmly Julie Anderson
Sent from my iPhone
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Christina Gee
From: Mary Mitchell <jezebelle008@gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, May 12, 2017 5:25 PM
To: Christina Gee
Subject: Re: Central San Academy Information
Christina,
Just a'thank you note' to you and all of the others at'Central San' for allowing me to be a part of the 'Academy'
program. I thoroughly enjoyed the program; the meetings were very informative and I learned a lot about
'waste water management.' The 'graduation ceremony' was a great surprise. A wonderful dinner and great talk
as well. I love the 'certificate' as well; very official. I hope you will think of me if there are any 'volunteer
opportunities. I have an elementary teaching credential, however, I am now working at a law office. But, I'm
not intimidated by a group of 40 elementary age kids.
Most important, I was able to see first hand what a wonderful group of people who work at 'Central San.' It
looks like a very fun and interesting place to work.
Thank you.
Mary Ann Mitchell
1
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Christina Gee
From: Eleanor Doyle <ellieandmike@ me.com>
Sent: Tuesday, May 30, 2017 1:40 PM
To: Christina Cee
Subject: Re:Welcome to Central San Academy!
Hi Christina,
Just a note to say thanks again for a job well done on the Central San Academy!Just received the lovely photo book.You
certainly have a talent for event planning! A very impressive team all round, am grateful to have seen how it all works-a
fascinating insight.
Best regards,
Eleanor Doyle
August 3, 2017 Regular Board Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 100 of 132
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6/22/2017
~ ;
RECAP OF CENTRAL SAN ACADEMY
SPRING 2017 SESSION
- Presented by
- - Christina Gee, Senior Administrative Technician
r Board of Directors Meeting
August 3, 2017
PARTICIPANTS
56 applicants and 18 dropouts
2 participants came to :52 of the 6 classes
• Final count of 36 participants
4!Z%
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1
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6/22/2017
PARTICIPANTS' BACKGROUND
private14
ct
• .
public
• sector
Participants
private13
sector
17 Retirees 4 public
sector
REASONS FOR ATTENDING
Interest in Wastewater Treatment
Employment Opportunities
Desire to be an Advocate for Central San
■Interest in Environmental Issues
, .
(9 participants) (17 participants)
(6 participants)
(4 participants)
2
August 3, 2017 Regular Board Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 102 of 132
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6/22/2017
CITY OF RESIDENCE
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29 of 36 participants (81%) 7 of 36 participants (19%)
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MARKETING �
•
Flyers
Chambers of Commerce
CITIZEN
City Offices ADE '
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Sustainable Contra Costa q..,�,.,,df.RrOW
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Press Release
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Patch and Community Focus
• Brochures at Central San �I
• CivicSpark
Rossmoor
Article in Rossmoor News
Interview on TV channel
3
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6/22/2017
PARTNERSHIP WITH
JOHN F. KENNEDY UNIVERSITY
Advertised the course to its Service
Learning Initiative
15 hours of Central San Academy class
15 hours for a community service project
design a campaign on Central San's environmental
messages (e.g., the benefits of using recycled
water, wipes clog pipes, HHWCF promotion)
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REFERRAL TO THE ACADEMY
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6/22/2017
PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK:
TOPICS OF INTEREST
Irs
Recycled water program �• -��
Wastewater cleaning process
Resource recovery
Environmental issues
• New technologies
'Photo credit:Marie Jeanne Parsons,Academy participant31
Ar
PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK:
TOPICS OF SURPRISE
Costs of infrastructure and meeting regulatory
requirements
Recycling waste and creating energy
Impact of the drought on flow
r
ar
5
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Page 18 of 23
6/22/2017
PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK:
PRIORITIES
Outreach
Interagency communication
Infrastructure maintenance
Compliance with regulatory requirements
Transparency
i
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i
AREAS OF
GREATEST SUCCESS
�= Hospitality
Approachable, friendly staff and Board
Welcoming atmosphere
Curriculum
Well balanced and organized
Good flow
• Presenters
Prepared, knowledgeable, enthusiastic
From various levels of the organization
- 1
6
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6/22/2017
AREAS OF POTENTIAL IMPROVEMENT
Time management
Balance between PowerPoints and activities
More on Collection System Operations and
Applied Research
3 E _
a
IMPACT OF 59 ALUMNI
Greater awareness of services to the community
Helping to support Central San's business practices
Volunteers for Central San events and educational programs
Ad hoc focus group
220
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2 C1
7
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6/22/2017
THE ACADEMY'S REACH
Community Emergency Response Team
Walnut Creek Design
Review Commission
Bay Area Regional Water Management Plan,
City of Walnut Creek and City of Martinez
Boy Scout Troop
City of Walnut Creek Contra Costa Sheriff's Department
North Downtown
Specific Plan San Ramon Police Department
Advisory Committee
Master Gardeners
IMPACT OF THE ACADEMY
Continued transparency
Leadership in the industry (CSDAAward)
Exceptional customer service
Direct dialogue with customer base
Feedback helps Central San better =--_
understand and meet the needs of its
customers ------
s
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6/22/2017
COSTS
Total cost estimated at $12,043.02
($334.53 per participant)
$1 ,178.88 (78%) reduction in costper
participant
Savings
No advertisement in East Bay Times
Limited staff attendance requiring overtime
• Eliminated binders
0
ti
NOTES FROM THE PARTICIPANTS
I now have a completely different
qa+v&wts,�
eaUy vecxtd- perspective of the intensive work that
&w Wh,,C�tlw-/ goes on at your facility.Every time that I
'seam tia-e v yay
a�cd-work e rsl flush I envision what takes place as the
it we v-e�tlw-/ waste products make their way through
rk/ the miles of pipe and eventually end up as
good water going to the Bay.
Thankyou for a marvelous,fascinating and
incredibly polishedAcademy.I've enjoyed it Best smelling
immensely andmore importantly have learneda sewage treatment
great deal about Central San and what it does. plant i n the world!
LWe done!
9
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6/22/2017
THANK YOU
To General Manager
Roger S. Bailey, for his
invaluable guidance
1 � .
To all of the presenters �
To the Board of
Directors, for your
support
SPRING 2018
- Administration Committee
recommendation
� Continue the program
Receive annual updates
Board input requested
� 18 dropouts from Spring 2017
Goals
Replicate successes
Address areas for
improvement
Continue cost effective
operation
-
10
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6/22/2017
QUESTIONS?
++
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11
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