Fellow Feature: Spotlight on Lake Elsinore & Moreno Valley Jessica Sanchez & Nicole Dailey, Lake Elsinore Rick Sandzimier & Joy Chen, Moreno Valley This month the WRCOG Public Service Fellowship is pleased to feature Joy Chen, Fellow for the City of Moreno Valley, and Jessica Sanchez, Fellow for the City of Lake Elsinore, for their ongoing contribution to the cities they serve. Joy currently assists the City of Moreno Valley with updating the City s General Plan. When asked how her experience was going, she responded saying, My fellowship has been nothing short of amazing with many opportunities to learn about policy on a local level, especially health policy, a focus I am very passionate about. Her direct supervisor, Rick Sandzimier, Planning Official, also added that the caliber of professionalism, enthusiasm and resourcefulness we have gained from our Fellow was exactly what we needed to help us launch two key efforts here at the City including a comprehensive update to the City s General Plan and a focused study on health aspects of the community. Jessica Sanchez, Fellow in Lake Elsinore, currently assists the City in research, event coordination and public relations. Jessica also has high remarks on the program stating, Being a WRCOG Fellow is an honor. I have learned so many things, and been exposed to so much more than the classroom could offer. This experience has been a very positive and enriching one. The WRCOG Fellowship program is well thought-out, organized and gives the Fellow so many tools and opportunity for success.
On October 26, 2017, the WRCOG Public Service Fellows toured the subregion (pictured below) to obtain a better understanding of various regional challenges facing Western Riverside County. During the tour, Fellows heard from subject-matter experts on ways to address those challenges locally, including: Rick Sandzimier, Planning Official for the City of Moreno Valley; Kristin Warsinski, Planning and Programming Specialist for the Riverside Transit Agency; Joyce Jong, Agriculture Business Development Coordinator for the City of Riverside; and Eddy Sida, former Fellow and current employee with the City of Perris. At the stops in Lake Elsinore and Moreno Valley, Jessica and Joy each provided additional background information on the cities they serve. Those attending the half-day workshop were treated to a lunch catered by E.A.T. Temecula, whose owner and chef discussed the importance of locally grown produce and disposal of food waste. Recycling organics, food scraps, and green waste from commercial businesses and households throughout the state is critical to achieving the state s new goal of source reduction, recycling, anaerobic digestion and composting by 2020. Contact Cynthia Mejia Organics Lunch & Learn Event Over 75 people attended the November 15, 2017, Lunch & Learn Workshop, "Organics Today, Clean Earth Tomorrow" in Wildomar! Local waste haulers, CR&R Environmental Services and Waste Management Inc. presented their plans to help jurisdictions stay in compliance with CalRecycle s goal of reaching 75% diversion from landfills around the State. Keynote Speaker, Hans Kernkamp, General Manager- Chief Engineer for Riverside County Department of Waste Resources, outlined the current state of county landfills and changes to follow (pictured right).
Used Oil Program Begins Social Media Outreach One of the main goals of WRCOG s Used Oil Program is to reduce illegal disposal of used motor oil by residents and businesses within our member agencies by increasing awareness about local used oil collection and disposal locations. Dumping used oil is very harmful and WRCOG Environmental staff launched a social media campaign to reach out to a variety of groups. Using Facebook as a platform, staff intends to reach out to those apt to change their oil, or direct family members to dispose of it correctly. Through this campaign we hope to encourage attendees to visit WRCOG s Used Oil Recycling events throughout Riverside County. Contact Dolores Badillo Talk About Holiday Spirit! As the holidays approach, it s time to dust off the old Christmas lights and exchange them for new energy efficient LED lights! The Western Riverside Energy Partnership (WREP) will once again host a Holiday LED Light Exchange and Energy Efficiency Starter Kit Program at five events throughout Western Riverside County during the month of December. Over the past three years, WREP has distributed thousands of LED holiday string lights at community events and encouraged residents to save energy through various residential efficiency tips from SCE and SoCal Gas. The following cities are confirmed to participate in the 2017 LED Holiday Light Exchange (dates below): Jurupa Valley, Hemet, Lake Elsinore, Menifee, and Moreno Valley. Also joining the Holiday Party is Moreno Valley Utility (MVU), which will be distributing LED lights to MVU customers. At each event, WREP will be distributing 200 strings of lights to the residents, so come out because they will go fast! And to add some extra holiday cheer, the WREP team will be providing Energy Efficiency Kits which contain a low flow shower head and three faucet aerators to help residents save on their utility bills.
Contact Anthony Segura TUMF Program Funding Moves Key SW Riverside Project Forward
Construction taking place on Clinton Keith Road. In April 2016, the County of Riverside started construction on Phase II of the Clinton Keith Road Extension Project, which TUMF will contribute $17 million in funding towards. Phase II of the project will construct four lanes between Whitewood Road and Trois Valley Street. Two bridge structures will be built to six lanes to accommodate the future widening of Clinton Keith Road. The estimated cost of the construction phase is $23 million and is anticipated to be completed in spring 2018. Contact Daniel Ramirez-Cornejo BEYOND Framework Fund Update WRCOG s BEYOND Framework Fund has made more than $4 million available to member agencies for local projects over the last two years. BEYOND assists WRCOG member agencies make progress towards the goals in the Agency s guiding Sustainability & Economic Development Framework: economy, environment, health, education, transportation, and water. This summer, 51 BEYOND-Round II projects kicked off with $2.3 million in funding. These projects address a wide range of issues and needs and will be highlighted here in the ecommunicator as they progress. For now, we d like to turn your attention to Round I in total there are 32 Round I funded projects across the region leveraging $1.8 million in funding. Eighteen projects have been completed to date. Completed projects include the SoCal Yard Transformation Guide developed by the Western Municipal Water District (WMWD) and the Riverside County Office of Education (RCOE) Foundation Scholars Program. Read on for more information on what these projects have done to improve quality of life across the region. SoCal Yard Transformation: A Step-by-Step Guide to Get the
Yard You Want is a beautifully designed manual created for the local climate with expert tips, diagrams, images, and humor. The handbook provides creative strategies to maximize water efficiency including planting tips and information on irrigation and sustainability. Copies are available at several local water agency offices; find out where you can pick up a FREE copy here. RCOE Foundation Scholars Program provides scholarships and other support for disadvantaged students throughout Riverside County to pursue higher education and technical training. Among these students are foster and migrant youth. The Program works to address the barriers young people face to meeting their full potential and developing into successful, independent adults. In 2015 and 2016, the Program awarded 33 scholarships for a total of $87,000, including $32,000 from WRCOG. Contact Andrea Howard Building an Unforgettable EXPERIENCE
Imagine a conference and event center, farm-to-table restaurant, meeting hub, waterefficient garden, walking path, and innovation incubator all in one place, here in Western Riverside County. These and many more elements are the foundation for WRCOG s EXPERIENCE sustainability center concept. EXPERIENCE proposes bringing a hub of attractions to Western Riverside County to address the currently unmet demand for these elements, while demonstrating best practices in health and sustainable design and empowering visitors to implement these practices in their homes, schools, and businesses. WRCOG s Executive Committee authorized a Feasibility Analysis to explore the real potential for bringing EXPERIENCE to life. Over the next 10 months, WRCOG, member jurisdictions, and partner agencies will be working with a consultant team from PlaceWorks, Inc. and HMC Architects on this study to include: 1) conceptual evaluation of three to four specific sites in the Cities of Perris, Riverside, and Temecula; 2) demand analysis of prospective elements; 3) evaluation of governance, operation, and partnership opportunities; and 4) final report that identifies next steps. To guide this process, WRCOG will assemble an Ad Hoc Committee composed of elected officials from WRCOG s member agencies. WRCOG will also invite member agency staff and representatives from the private and education sector to provide input at Committee meetings. Staff are excited to bring you updates on the Study s progress in the months to come. Stay tuned! Contact Andrea Howard Riverside County Students Participate in Celebrating Endangered Species Approximately 700 fifth and sixth grade students from the Riverside, Lake Elsinore, Hemet, Jurupa, and Perris Elementary Unified Districts participated in an event to celebrate endangered species (pictured left). The
conserving natural resources. Riverside County Habitat Conservation Agency (RCHCA) along with WRCOG, the City of Riverside, and Riverside County Waste Resources and Parks & Open Space Departments sponsored the annual educational event. Experts and biologists lead students through a number of hands-onlearning stations where they saw live animals and learned about the importance of The event coincided with National Endangered Species Act (ESA) Day, which was first celebrated in 2006 to raise awareness about the threats to endangered species including global warming and the success stories in species recovery. ESA events provide an opportunity for schools, libraries, museums, zoos, botanical gardens, agencies, businesses, community organizations, and conservation organizations to educate the public about the importance of protecting endangered species and other natural resources. It was also an opportunity to highlight and demonstrate everyday actions that individuals and groups can take to help protect the nation s wildlife. Students explore habitat lands and examine endangered species at ESA Day. Contact Princess Hester Vision Test Executive Director's Column COG s can perform a wide range of tasks, but what is the best way to determine what to focus on and what to avoid? The sometimes nebulous mission of a council of governments can be both a blessing and a curse. Unlike single purpose agencies (a water district, a school district, or a transportation agency, for example) which have defined and sometimes statutorily required missions, councils of governments typically lack definition when it comes to the work they do on behalf of their members. WRCOG s Joint Powers Agreement, for example, offers little in terms of specific
assignments, and instead promotes the Agency as a forum for consideration, study and recommendation on area-wide and regional problems and a place that explores practical avenues for intergovernmental cooperation, coordination and action in the interest of local public welfare... If properly structured and administered, however, the strength of councils of governments rests in the vagaries that define them in the first place. COG s are designed to respond to issues that don t always neatly fit into other agency operations and are often at a scale that is larger than a single jurisdiction. COG s address what their members want to accomplish, rather than what they have to accomplish. And considering rapid changes in economy, regulation, business, and fiscal constraints on local government; the need for an agency to be able to address speed of change issues on behalf of multiple agencies is becoming increasingly important. The range of functions that COGs in California undertake on behalf of their members is an indicator of the value they bring to a subregion. But just because COGs can do anything does not mean that they should. COG s are at their best when they identify niches that are scalable to their particular geography and when their efforts can achieve economies of scale. Conversely, COG s are at their worst when they take on tasks that others are already addressing, or when duplicate work adds little or nothing new to an issue. Last month WRCOG s leaders participated in a visioning workshop to examine the Agency's functions and assess whether things are overall on the right track. Facilitated by California Councils of Governments Executive Director Bill Higgins, attendees reviewed previously-established priority goal areas for WRCOG and discussed potential new tasks for WRCOG based on changing dynamics, future trends, and member agency needs. An important part of the session dialogue was the introduction of a process to properly vet new ideas in order to help inform members as to whether WRCOG could be the proper landing spot for implementation. The vetting process provides a framework for how to have an informed discussion on new projects. Potential new ideas/programs would be put through a filtering process by way of a series of questions, after which COG leaders would be able to more easily determine whether a proposed idea is already being adequately addressed and if not, should be undertaken by WRCOG or by another entity. The framework will provide more thorough analysis regarding whether it is in the best interests of WRCOG s members to commit to taking on an issue. The framework includes the following: 1. Can the issue best be addressed at a multi-jurisdictional level? 2. Is the request consistent with established Agency priorities? These include economy, transportation, education, water, energy and health. 3. What can WRCOG do that other agencies are not doing, or cannot do? 4. What is the potential to make a difference? 5. Does WRCOG have the resources to be effective? 6. Is the issue already being addressed by others? 7. Does benchmarking indicate a need for action? 8. If others are addressing the issue adequately, can WRCOG s role be in compiling information of work underway and acting as a clearinghouse? 9. What other factors are important to consider?
Undoubtedly there are other filters that could be added to the above list. The main point is this: COG s provide value to their members when they address areas of need; they confuse and even alienate when they don t. A proper vetting of new ideas, consistent with this framework, can help WRCOG s leaders make decisions on what tasks are appropriate for the Agency to be involved in.