FROM: James D. Herberg, General Manager
SUBJECT:
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PUBLIC AFFAIRS UPDATE FOR THE MONTHS OF JULY AND AUGUST 2022
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GENERAL MANAGER'S RECOMMENDATION
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RECOMMENDATION:
Receive and File the Public Affairs Update for the months of July and August 2022.
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BACKGROUND
Staff will provide an update on recent public affairs activities.
RELEVANT STANDARDS
• Maintain influential legislative advocacy and a public outreach program
• Build brand, trust, and support with policy makers and community leaders
• Maintain collaborative and cooperative relationships with regulators, stakeholders, and neighboring communities
• Listen to and seriously consider community input on environmental concerns
PROBLEM
The Orange County Sanitation District (OC San) is well-recognized within the water/wastewater industry; however, within our service area there is limited knowledge by our customers of the important work we do to protect public health and the environment. In general, the customers we serve do not realize that when they improperly dispose of waste into the sanitation system, it can negatively affect our sewer lines, our treatment plants, and the quality of water we supply to the Groundwater Replenishment System.
PROPOSED SOLUTION
By providing tours, community outreach, education, and general communication via OC San’s website, social media outlets, and direct mailings, we can educate the community, local agencies, and businesses on our messaging such as the What2Flush program, energy production, water recycling, biosolids, and our source control program. This, in turn, helps improve the quality of wastewater that is recycled or released to the ocean.
RAMIFICATIONS OF NOT TAKING ACTION
If we do not educate the community, local agencies, and area businesses about OC San, we may not have the support necessary to deliver our mission.
PRIOR COMMITTEE/BOARD ACTIONS
N/A
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
ACTIVITIES FOR THE MONTHS OF JULY AND AUGUST 2022
Social Media
Over the last two months, we have remained active on our social media accounts.
• Facebook: 32 posts and reached 6.6k people
• Twitter: 32 posts and reached 3.9k people
• Instagram: 23 posts and had 4.4k reached
• LinkedIn: 10 posts and had 9.1k reached
Presentations
Over the last two months, OC San has participated in a STEM Engineering presentation with Cypress College; presented at the Huntington Beach Southeast Council Meeting; attended a Huntington Beach Wetlands Meeting; and Lan Wiborg, Director of Environmental Services, gave a presentation at the SoCal 7th Annual Water Conference. Overall, OC San was able to reach over 180 people with these events.
Headquarters Building Moves into Next Phase
Staff visited the Albert Robles Center for Water Recycling and Environmental Learning in Pico Rivera to gather ideas for OC San’s new Headquarter Building education component. Mock-ups of the future offices and cubicles for the new building were presented to staff to allow the opportunity to obtain feedback on use and functionality of space and arrangements proposed.
Santa Ana Watershed
Over the years, OC San has provided content for display boards along the Santa Ana River Watershed. These boards include our name, social media handles, and tour information. This year, we partnered with the Orange County Water District to also include information about water recycling.
Wastewater 101 Citizens Academy
The second Wastewater 101 Citizens Academy began on September 8, 2022. The academy consists of four informational sessions presented by OC San staff and a virtual plant tour. The academy is intended to provide the participants with a thorough understanding of OC San’s operations and ongoing efforts to protect public health and the environment. The academy is free to attend, and completion of all four courses will result in a certificate of completion.
Construction Outreach
OC San continues to keep the communities informed of construction activities throughout our service area. There are currently active projects in Fountain Valley, Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, Westminster, Buena Park, Anaheim, and within both of our treatment facilities. Website updates, email and text alerts, and notifications continue to be distributed as the projects progress.
Internal Communication
To keep employees informed of OC San happenings, a variety of communication methods are used. There are daily posts on the intranet, The San Box; weekly emails are distributed on hot topics for the week; a monthly bathroom publication with general updates; and the employee newsletter, the Pipeline, is distributed every two months.
Awards
• The Government Finance Officers Association awarded OC San with the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the 2020-2021 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report. The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by OC San and its management.
• OC San was awarded two American Inhouse Design Awards from Graphic Design USA for Fiscal Year 2021-2022. The awards are for the Annual Report and the Capital Improvement Annual Report.
• The National Procurement Institute awarded OC San the 2022 Achievement of Excellence in Procurement Award. The Award is earned by public and non-profit agencies that demonstrate a commitment to procurement excellence. This annual program recognizes organizations that embrace Innovation, Professionalism, Productivity, Leadership, and e-Procurement.
• Jennifer Cabral, Administration Manager, was selected as the California Association of Public Information Officials (CAPIO) 2022 Paul B. Clark Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. Ms. Cabral was selected for her leadership in the field through professional commitment, including the mentoring of others and fostering a greater understanding of the public communicator function among colleagues, community, and the media. The Paul B. Clark Award is the highest honor bestowed by CAPIO and is awarded to an individual who demonstrates exceptional leadership in the communications field.
• CAPIO also awarded OC San the Dollar Stretcher award for the new logo and branding effort. The Dollar Stretcher category is for projects and/or tools that had a major impact using only in-house resources on a limited budget. OC San’s new logo and branding was done entirely in-house.
ATTACHMENT
The following attachment(s) may be viewed on-line at the OC San website (www.ocsan.gov) with the complete agenda package:
• Outreach and Media Summary Report - July and August 2022
• Presentation