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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Packet - EVWD Board of Directors - 11/16/2017SP EC IA L BO A RD MEET IN G November 16, 2017 at 5:30 PM 31111 Greenspot Road Highland, C A 92346 AG E N D A C A LL TO O RD ER P LED G E O F A LLEG IA N C E RO LL C A LL O F BO A RD MEMBERS P UBLIC C O MMEN T S Any person wishing to speak to the Board of Directors is asked to complete a Speaker Card and submit it to the District Clerk prior to the start of the meeting. Each speaker is limited to three (3) minutes, unless waived by the C hairman of the Board. Under the State of C alifornia Brown Act, the Board of Directors is prohibited from discussing or taking action on any item not listed on the posted agenda. T he matter will automatically be referred to staff for an appropriate response or action and may appear on the agenda at a future meeting. 1.Board C ommunication Training REPO RT S 2.General Manager/C EO 3.Legal C ounsel Report 4.Board of Directors' Comments A D J O URN P urs uant to G overnment C o d e S ec tion 54954.2(a), any reques t fo r a d is ab ility-related mo dific ation or ac commod ation, inc luding auxiliary aids or s ervic es , that is s ought in order to participate in the abo ve agendized pub lic meeting s hould be d irected to the District C lerk at (909) 885-4900. KEY MESSAGING –ABOUT THE DISTRICT •East Valley Water District serves residents in the cities of Highland and San Bernardino, along with portions of unincorporated San Bernardino County. •The service area covers just over 30 square miles. •We are a public agency that provides water and wastewater services to over 100,000 people. •EVWD is a results-oriented organization •We are committed to Leadership, Partnership, and Stewardship •Board of Directors •EVWD is a public agency with a 5-member elected board. •Each Board Member serves all customers and are elected at large. •The offices are elected in staggered terms, with the next General Election in November 2018. KEY MESSAGING –WATER •EVWD has three sources of water, groundwater, Santa Ana River, and State Project Water which comes from Northern California. •These three options allow us a high level of flexibility and reliability for our customers. •We have the systems in place to meet the needs of new customers, while maintaining the quality of service for existing consumers. •At EVWD, we know the importance of using water efficiently, in wet and drought years alike. The Sterling Natural Resource Center is a facility that will treat and store up to 10 million gallons of water daily for use in future years. •The recent drought has taught us the importance of water conservation. •Although we are not currently in a state of emergency it is important to reduce water waste. •We have many program available to help customers, including water audits and rebate programs. •Because of our planning efforts, we did not have to implement drought rates like some other water agencies. •We have a rate structure that is designed to remain stable even when we are faced with tough conservation requirements. KEY MESSAGING –FINANCIAL •EVWD is a rate based organization. This means we pay for operations with through rates we collect from customers. •Our rates are based on the cost of providing our services. No more and no less. •We do not receive any property taxes. •EVWD transitioned in recent years to a budget-based rates. •This rate structure charges customers based on their unique water needs, including people living at the property, weather, and landscaping. •This allows the most important water uses to be charged the lowest price of water, and inefficient water use is charged the highest. •This structure has allowed us to develop conservation programs to reduce water waste in our community. •The new headquarters was designed to not only provide an office space for EVWD, but to create a place the community can also consider a resource. •The building is available for customer use and gives us opportunities to see more of the community on a regular basis. KEY MESSAGING –LEGAL •Pending SNRC Litigation •EVWD is actively working to reach a settlement outside of court. •As community leaders, we are hopeful that through a spirit of cooperation, we can reach an agreement that benefits the entire community. •We will provide updates to the community as they become available. THE BRIDGE: DELIVERING KEY MESSAGES EFFECTIVELY NOVEMBER 16, 2017 2 •Equip board members with powerful tools and techniques for communicating effectively about EVWD in a public and media setting •Review new EVWD messaging pertaining to commonly asked questions •Introduce The Bridge technique •Practice bridging in on-camera exercises OUR GOALS WHY DO WE NEED KEY MESSAGING? 4 OUR CURRENT LANDSCAPE Water Quality Financial Stewardship Pending Litigation 5 COMMUNITY EXPECTATIONS ARE RISING •Community members expect higher levels of transparency and engagement •East Valley Water District is committed to striving for excellence in all that it does •Opportunity to demonstrate EVWD’s innovative leadership and forward-thinking approaches that deliver on expectations and results THE FORMULA PRIORITIZE YOUR OBJECTIVES Anyone can answer a question. You are here to deliver messages. 1.Satisfy your own objectives Get your message out by determining what you want to say, and tailor your message(s) for the audience to whom you are speaking 2.Help the other person out Provide information that benefits him/her OVERVIEW OF EVWD MESSAGING WHAT IS KEY MESSAGING? •Creates a consistent, concise tone for EVWD •Ensures EVWD is portrayed accurately and in the best light •When rehearsed, helps to instill confidence in EVWD representatives to speak about the organization effectively 10 BUT, ARE THERE TIMES YOU SHOULDN’T ENGAGE? Understanding when not to engage is just as important as understanding your key messages. Scenarios include: •If you don’t know the answer. It’s best to acknowledge you don’t know and offer to respond later or deflect to someone who does. •If an issue or crisis has just occurred and EVWD has not yet shared a statement. You do not want to be the first person to speak on behalf of the organization, unless you’ve been approved to do so. •Opposition. THE ART OF BRIDGING 12 WHAT IS BRIDGING? •A technique used to create a “bridge” from a community member’s question back to the messaging that best represents EVWD. •The three-step process includes: 1. Acknowledge the question: You don’t need to answer the question, but simply make a reference to it as your begin the bridging process. 2. Connect with a bridge phase. 3. Deliver a positive message. 13 WHAT BRIDGING IS NOT •What you say after the reporter/community member asks an out-of-bounds question really isn’t an answer because it doesn’t answer the question. It’s a response, and it includes the key message or messages you’ve prepared beforehand. 14 BRIDGING STATEMENTS Question Bridging Example What do you know about X? What do you know about the potential for another drought? I don’t know about X, but what I can tell you about Y is… I don’t know if or when there will be another drought, but what I can tell you is that East Valley is committed to assisting this community with being water efficient. We have a number of programs and rebates available to help our customers reduce water waste. Critics say X about EVWD… Critics say the new EVWD building is unnecessary, what is your opinion on that? I can’t speak for them, but I do know… Community partnership is important to us at East Valley Water District. In fact, the building was designed not only provide an office space for District employees, but to create a place the community can also consider a resource. Can you guarantee… There will be enough water when new development is constructed? What I can guarantee is… EVWD is committed to serving this community. This includes taking steps to prepare for future development approved by the local cities. These planning measures ensure that we can meet the needs of new customers, while maintaining the quality of service for existing customers. What if… What if there’s another water quality issue? I can’t speculate, but I can tell you that… I can’t speculate, but I can tell you that EVWD personnel have undergone extensive training and works closely with state and federal regulators to ensure water is safe for our customers. If a water quality issue arises, we are committed to identifying solutions as quickly as possible and keeping our community informed of the process and any potential health risks that may exist. We’ve heard the possibility that the SNRC could cause… We’ve heard the possibility that the SNRC could cause our rates to increase. Is that true? What we know now is… The Board is committed to keeping rates the same, if not lower, after the development of the SNRC. LET’S PRACTICE 16 •Scenario One –Speaking to an audience in a public forum, mixed supporters and opposition. •Scenario Two –Media interview with a reporter who does not support or oppose SNRC. SCENARIOS Mindfulness: The quality or state of being conscious or aware of something. Being mindful of a situation can help you to determine the most appropriate communications tools and messages to use in your community interactions. Here’s how: 1.Be mindful of your AUDIENCE: Know what messages will speak most clearly to the audience at hand. Anticipate what questions you’ve heard before and what questions you’re hoping you don’t get. 2.Be mindful of your ROLE: Recognize the role you are playing in each situation and be cognizant of how that may impact your messages or communication style. 3.Be mindful of your GOAL: Remember your ultimate goal in your communications and ensure that your messages always tie back to that goal. STAY ONE STEP AHEAD OF YOUR AUDIENCE