ITEM:            INFORMATIONAL ITEMS/STAFF REPORTS

 

21.       QUARTERLY PUBLIC INFORMATION PROGRAM REPORT

 

Meeting Date:           April 21, 2003             Budgeted: N/A

Program/Line Item No.: N/A

Staff Contact:             Henrietta Stern          Cost Estimate: N/A

 

General Counsel Approval:  N/A     

Committee Recommendation: N/A

CEQA Compliance: N/A

 

 

The purpose of the MPWMD Public Information Program is to more effectively communicate factual information about the District mission, its activities, and water issues to the public.  The following paragraphs highlight activities in the January-March 2003 period.  The next quarterly report will be prepared for the July 2003 meeting.

 

Public Outreach/Communications Committee -- The current committee members are Directors Molly Erickson, Judi Lehman and David Pendergrass.    There was no meeting of the committee this past quarter.  All Board members participated in review of the Draft MPWMD Annual Report for year 2002, which was approved at the March 27, 2003 meeting. 

 

District Staff Action -- During this reporting period, District staff continued to write news releases on Board action and notable District activities, summarize major District activities each month, answer questions from the media and general public on a variety of subjects, maintain the District website, and other public outreach activities.  Extensive community and media interest was generated in March 2003 about the resignation of Ernesto Avila as General Manager and the naming of Fran Farina as Acting General Manager as well as the town hall meeting sponsored by State Senator Bruce McPherson regarding his pending bill (SB 149) to change the governance of the District. There was also significant media coverage of the March 27 and April 2 special meetings regarding the water supply project EIR.   District staff is planning the next quarterly public update on the Water Supply Project EIR, tentatively scheduled in May 2003.  District staff continues to respond to many queries about water distribution system regulations, water availability in Hidden Hills, and other water-related issues through a variety of media (phone, e-mail, letter).

 

District staff members Larry Hampson and Beverley Chaney led a weekend field trip on the Carmel River for the California Association of Environmental Professionals in late March.  Mr. Hampson made several presentations about the District’s Carmel River erosion protection and restoration projects to entities such as the Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District and the Monterey County Fish and Game Commission.   He is also contributing to an effort to develop a photo-history of the Carmel River for the Carmel River Watershed Council. 

 

 

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