HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-17-19 PRL&L Committee PacketOTAY WATER DISTRICT
PUBLIC RELATIONS, LEGAL & LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE MEETING
and
SPECIAL MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
2554 SWEETWATER SPRINGS BOULEVARD
SPRING VALLEY, CALIFORNIA
Board Room
WEDNESDAY
April 17, 2019
12:00 P.M.
This is a District Committee meeting. This meeting is being posted as a special meeting
in order to comply with the Brown Act (Government Code Section §54954.2) in the event that
a quorum of the Board is present. Items will be deliberated, however, no formal board actions
will be taken at this meeting. The committee makes recommendations
to the full board for its consideration and formal action.
AGENDA
1. ROLL CALL
2. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION – OPPORTUNITY FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO
SPEAK TO THE BOARD ON ANY SUBJECT MATTER WITHIN THE BOARD'S
JURISDICTION BUT NOT AN ITEM ON TODAY'S AGENDA
DISCUSSION ITEMS
3. ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 4363 TO AMEND POLICY NO. 46, MEDIA RELA-
TIONS, OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS CODE OF ORDINANCE (OTERO)
[5 minutes]
4. REPORT ON THE STATUS OF COMMUNITY OUTREACH RELATED TO THE
CAMPO ROAD SEWER REPLACEMENT PROJECT (OTERO) [5 minutes]
5. ADJOURNMENT
BOARD MEMBERS ATTENDING:
Mark Robak, Chair
Hector Gastelum
2
All items appearing on this agenda, whether or not expressly listed for action, may be de-
liberated and may be subject to action by the Board.
The Agenda, and any attachments containing written information, are available at the Dis-
trict’s website at www.otaywater.gov. Written changes to any items to be considered at
the open meeting, or to any attachments, will be posted on the District’s website. Copies
of the Agenda and all attachments are also available through the District Secretary by con-
tacting her at (619) 670-2280.
If you have any disability that would require accommodation in order to enable you to par-
ticipate in this meeting, please call the District Secretary at 670-2280 at least 24 hours pri-
or to the meeting.
Certification of Posting
I certify that on April 12, 2019 I posted a copy of the foregoing agenda near the reg-
ular meeting place of the Board of Directors of Otay Water District, said time being at least
24 hours in advance of the meeting of the Board of Directors (Government Code Section
§54954.2).
Executed at Spring Valley, California on April 12, 2019.
/s/ Susan Cruz, District Secretary
STAFF REPORT
TYPE MEETING: Regular Board Meeting MEETING DATE: May 1, 2019
SUBMITTED BY: Tenille M. Otero
PROJECT: Various DIV. NO. All
APPROVED BY:
Mark Watton, General Manager
SUBJECT: Adopt Resolution 4363, Amending Policy No. 46, Media Relations Policy of the Otay Water District’s Code of Ordinances
GENERAL MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION: That the Otay Water District (District) Board of Directors adopt Resolution 4363, amending Policy 46, Media Relations Policy of the District’s Code of Ordinances. COMMITTEE ACTION:
See Attachment A.
PURPOSE:
To update Policy 46 of the District’s Code of Ordinances and provide an update and additional clarity on the Media Relations Policy. ANALYSIS:
The Board adopted Resolution No. 4028 to implement the Media
Relations Policy (Policy 46) in September 2004. The purpose of the policy was to establish procedures to better inform the public, the District’s customers, businesses and other stakeholders about water,
sewer, recycled water service, and other-District related matters by engaging in a defined and proactive media relations program.
Communicating with the media is a standard and established responsibility of every public organization. District staff
recognizes the importance of creating and sustaining media relationships through expedient and effective communications with
media representatives. Therefore, Policy 46 was developed so that news media inquiries regarding the District and the District’s position on matters should be given high priority, and should be responded to as quickly and efficiently as possible. Communications staff makes every effort to obtain accurate information from District
staff and/or others involved in District-related matters to ensure that information released to the media is accurate and is in compliance with laws and regulations concerning individual privacy and confidentiality.
Policy 46 with redlined changes is included in Exhibit 1 as part of
Attachment B. Highlights of the updated policy, including the redlined changes, are as follows:
The General Manager’s office is responsible for the District's media relations program. The policy notes that all District employees should notify the General Manager, their department’s Chief or the General Manager’s
Communications Officer, about media inquiries. Media representatives shall contact the General Manager and/or the Communications Officer,
who is authorized to speak on behalf of the District. Regarding the District’s spokesperson, unless otherwise authorized,
the District’s only designated spokesperson to speak on behalf of the District are the following:
• President of the Board of Directors or Board members assigned
• General Manager
• Designees authorized by General Manager as noted by General
Manager’s memo to Management (Attachment E). Any media inquiry received by other District staff regarding the
District or the District’s position on a matter should be referred immediately to the General Manager through Department Chief. The
General Manager’s staff will make all reasonable efforts to coordinate a response with the General Manager and appropriate District staff, including designating a spokesperson.
Included also is a section on the subject of litigation, personnel,
and District-election issues. Any inquiries regarding pending litigation or exposure to litigation and District election issues should be referred to the General Manager’s office. In addition, District staff makes proactive efforts to reach out to
the media, initiated through staff in the General Manager’s office. This includes issuing press releases and media advisories, and making personal contacts with reporters and editors for stories and other coverage.
The policy also notes that District departments seeking publicity for events or activities should contact the Communications Officer in the General Manager’s office to ensure the best media coverage of their activities. Department staff members shall not initiate news media contacts on behalf of the District before notifying the General
Manager or Department Chief.
Also, covered in the policy is an Emergency and Service Outage Issues section. Because the Operations Department may be called upon to
restore service due to outages, breakages or in other critical situations, their work is fundamental to the overall mission of the District. Consequently, Operations personnel may be the only staff at the scene
of an incident and may be called upon to address service restoration questions by the media. In these situations, all such inquires will be immediately referred to the Chief of Operations who will make every effort to ensure that all information released is accurate, relevant, and appropriate. Operations staff should notify the Chief
of Operations immediately of any such media inquiry. The Chief of Operations will then take the lead for follow-up media communications
and contact the General Manager and Communications Officer. Any media calls to other District staff regarding Operations matters
should be referred immediately to the Chief of Operations and General Manager’s Communications Officer. All information released directly
to the media by Operations should be provided immediately to the General Manager's Communications Officer.
During a crisis or major emergency, the District’s Standardized Emergency Management Plan Section 5.1-1 designates the news media
responsibilities to the General Manager and Communications Officer. To conclude, nothing in policy 46 should be construed as to restrict
or preclude any employee of the District or a representative of the Otay Water District Employee Association (OWDEA) from communicating
with the press on matters of public concern or on matters related to association and/or union activities. Conversely, these communications should not be made while the employee is on duty, nor be disruptive
to the District’s operations, and should be clearly understood as not being made on behalf of the District or representing the District’s
official position on such matters. Because the media often works on tight deadlines, and the District and the media both share the desire to provide accurate, relevant and timely information to the District’s customers and stakeholders,
staff will continue to work closely with the General Manager, the Board, Chiefs, and other staff to provide this timely and accurate information. FISCAL IMPACT: Joe Beachem, Chief Financial Officer
N/A
STRATEGIC GOAL:
Execute and deliver services that meet or exceed customer expectations, and increase customer engagement in order to improve
District Services. 1. Enhance and build awareness and engagement among the District’s customers and stakeholders and within the San Diego Region about the District’s strategies, policies, projects, programs, and legislative/regulatory issues. LEGAL IMPACT:
None. Attachments:
A) Committee Action B) Resolution 4363
Exhibit 1: Redlined Copy of Policy 46 C) Proposed Copy of Policy 46 D) Section 5.1-1 of Standardized Emergency Management Plan
E) General Manager’s Memo to Management – Designated Media Spokespersons
ATTACHMENT A
SUBJECT/PROJECT:
Adopt Resolution 4363, Amending Policy No. 46, Media Relations Policy of the Otay Water District’s Code of
Ordinances
COMMITTEE ACTION:
The Public Relations, Legal and Legislative Committee is scheduled to review these items at the monthly Board meeting to
be held on April 17, 2019. The attachment will be updated with notes from the committee’s discussion.
Page 1 of 2
RESOLUTION NO.4363
WHEREAS, it is the policy of the District to establish
procedures to review policies, procedures, ordinances, and
resolutions periodically to ensure they are current and relevant;
and
WHEREAS, District staff has identified Board policy 46,
Media Relations Policy, as requiring revisions as per
the attached strike-thru copy (Exhibit 1); and
WHEREAS, the Otay Water District Board of Directors has been
presented with the proposed amendments to Policy 46, Media Policy
of the District’s Code of Ordinances; and
WHEREAS, the amendments have been reviewed and considered by
the Board, and it is in the interest of the District to adopt the
amended Policy No. 46, Media Relations Policy;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, DETERMINED AND ORDERED by
the Board of Directors of the Otay Water District that the
amended Policy 46, incorporated herein as Exhibit 1, is hereby
adopted.
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED by the Board of Directors of
Otay Water District at a board meeting held this 1st day of May
2019, by the following vote:
Ayes: Noes: Abstain: Absent:
A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE OTAY WATER DISTRICT AMENDING POLICY NO. 46, MEDIA RELATIONS POLICY OF THE DISTRICT’S CODE OF ORDINANCES
Attachment B
Page 2 of 2
_______________________ President ATTEST: ____________________________ District Secretary
Page 1 of 54
OTAY WATER DISTRICT
BOARD OF DIRECTORS POLICY
Subject: MEDIA RELATIONS POLICY Policy
Number
Date
Adopted
Date
Revised
46 9/01/04 5/01/19
PURPOSE
To establish procedures to better inform the public, Otay Water
District (District) customers, businesses and other stakeholders
on water, sewer, and recycled water service, and other District-
related matters by engaging in a defined and proactive media
relations program.
BACKGROUND
The District recognizes an effective and quick way to communicate
District policies and activities is by working in partnership with
the news media. This policy requires that news media inquiries
regarding the District and the District’s position on matters
should be given high priority, and should be responded to as
quickly and efficiently as possible. Every effort should be made
to reasonably meet media deadlines and to ensure that all
information released is accurate and is in compliance with laws
and regulations concerning individual privacy and confidentiality.
POLICY
The General Manager’s office is responsible for the District's
media relations program. To assist with this vital critical
function, the District may retain media relations assistance to
provide public, community and governmental relations services.
All District employees should notify the General Manager, their
department’s Assistant General ManagerChief or the General
Manager’s staff Communications Officer about media inquiries.
With regard to District media requests, the media representative
shall contact the General Manager and/or the Communications
Officer who is authorized to speak on behalf of the District.
Because the media often work on deadlines, all departments should
respond as soon as reasonably possible when the General Manager
requests department information or a spokesperson for the media.
Specific guidelines for responding to media requests regarding
the District’s position on matters are as follow:
DISTRICT SPOKESPERSONS
Unless otherwise authorized, the District's only designated
spokespersons to speak on behalf of the District are:
• President of the Board of Directors or Board members assigned
Page 2 of 54
• General Manager
• Designees authorized by General Manager as noted by General
Manager’s Ordermemo.
Page 3 of 54
OTAY WATER DISTRICT
BOARD OF DIRECTORS POLICY
Subject: MEDIA RELATIONS POLICY Policy
Number
Date
Adopted
Date
Revised
46 9/01/04 5/01/19
MEDIA INQUIRIES
Any media inquiry received by other District staff regarding the
District or the District’s position on a matter should be referred
immediately to the General Manager through the Assistant General
Manager or Department Chief. An appropriate response to the media
is: "I'm sorry; I don't have the full information regarding that
matter. I will give your request to my Department Chief District
management, who and someone from the District will respond to you
as soon as he/shethey isare available."
Any staff member should obtain the reporter's name, phone number
or cell phone number, topic of the story and deadline. Staff in
the General Manager’s office will make all reasonable efforts to
coordinate a response with the General Manager and appropriate
District staff.
LITIGATION, PERSONNEL AND DISTRICT ELECTION ISSUES
Generally, the business conducted by the District is public, and
therefore, is public information. Inquiries regarding pending
litigation, matters involving a significant exposure to
litigation, certain personnel related information and District
election information are exceptions.
Inquiries regarding pending litigation or exposure to litigation
and District election issues should be referred to the General
Manager’s office.
GENERAL OR ROUTINE ISSUES
Calls from media should always be referred immediately to the
General Manager’s office through the employee's Department Chief
or supervisor. The General Manager’s office will coordinate a
response, including designating a spokesperson.
When the General Manager has designated a spokesperson to respond
to specific questions from the media, the General Manager should
be informed of the topic, the name of the reporter and the
proposed date of airing or publication, either before or
immediately following these interviews.
Page 4 of 54
OTAY WATER DISTRICT
BOARD OF DIRECTORS POLICY
Subject: MEDIA RELATIONS POLICY Policy
Number
Date
Adopted
Date
Revised
46 9/01/04 5/01/19
DISTRICT-INITIATED INFORMATION
The District also makes its own efforts to get in touch with the
media. For the most part, this proactive media contact is
initiated through the General Manager’s office. This includes
issuing press releases and media advisories, and making personal
contacts with reporters and editors for stories and other
coverage. Departments seeking publicity for events or activities
should contact the public relationsCommunications staff Officer in
the General Manager’s office as soon as possible to ensure the
best media coverage of their activities.
Department staff members shall not initiate news media contacts on
behalf of the District before notifying the General Manager,
Assistant General Manager, or dDepartment cChief.
EMERGENCY/SERVICE OUTAGE ISSUES
Because the Operations Division Department may be called upon to
restore service due to outages, breakages or in other critical
situations, their work is fundamental to the overall mission of
the District. As a result, Operations personnel may be the only
staff at the scene of an incident and may be called upon to
address service restoration questions by the media.
In these situations, all such inquires will be immediately
referred to the Chief of Operations who will make every effort to
ensure that all information released is accurate, relevant, and
appropriate. Operations staff should notify the Chief of
Operations immediately of any such media inquiry. The Chief of
Operations will then take the lead for follow-up media
communications and contact the General Manager and
Communications Officer.
Any media calls to other District staff regarding Operations
matters should be referred immediately to the Chief of Operations,
Assistant General Manager and General Manager’s Communications
Officerstaff. All information released directly to the media by
Operations should be provided immediately to the General Manager's
staff Communications Officer and the Assistant General Manager.
Page 5 of 54
OTAY WATER DISTRICT
BOARD OF DIRECTORS POLICY
Subject: MEDIA RELATIONS POLICY Policy
Number
Date
Adopted
Date
Revised
46 9/01/04 5/01/19
During a crisis or major emergency, the District’s Standardized
Emergency Management Plan Section 5.1-1 assigns responsibilities
and procedures for handling media and customer information.
CONCLUSION
Nothing in this policy should be construed as to restrict or
preclude an employee of the District or a representative of the
Otay Water District Employee Association (OWDEA) or other
bargaining unit from communicating with the press on matters of
public concern or on matters related to association and/or union
activities. However, such communications should not be made
during duty-time, nor be disruptive to the District’s operations,
and should be clearly understood as not being made on behalf of
the District or representing the District’s official position on
such matters.
Page 1 of 5
OTAY WATER DISTRICT
BOARD OF DIRECTORS POLICY
Subject: MEDIA RELATIONS POLICY Policy
Number
Date
Adopted
Date
Revised
46 9/01/04 5/01/19
PURPOSE
To establish procedures to better inform the public, Otay Water
District (District) customers, businesses and other stakeholders
on water, sewer, and recycled water service, and other District-
related matters by engaging in a defined and proactive media
relations program.
BACKGROUND
The District recognizes an effective and quick way to communicate
District policies and activities is by working in partnership with
the news media. This policy requires that news media inquiries
regarding the District and the District’s position on matters
should be given high priority, and should be responded to as
quickly and efficiently as possible. Every effort should be made
to reasonably meet media deadlines and to ensure that all
information released is accurate and is in compliance with laws
and regulations concerning individual privacy and confidentiality.
POLICY
The General Manager’s office is responsible for the District's
media relations program. To assist with this critical function,
the District may retain media relations assistance to provide
public, community and governmental relations services.
All District employees should notify the General Manager, their
department’s Chief or the General Manager’s Communications
Officer about media inquiries. With regard to District media
requests, the media representative shall contact the General
Manager and/or the Communications Officer who is authorized to
speak on behalf of the District. Because the media often work on
deadlines, all departments should respond as soon as reasonably
possible when the General Manager requests department information
or a spokesperson for the media. Specific guidelines for
responding to media requests regarding the District’s position on
matters are as follow:
DISTRICT SPOKESPERSONS
Unless otherwise authorized, the District's only designated
spokespersons to speak on behalf of the District are:
• President of the Board of Directors or Board members assigned
Page 2 of 5
• General Manager
• Designees authorized by General Manager as noted by General
Manager’s memo.
Page 3 of 5
OTAY WATER DISTRICT
BOARD OF DIRECTORS POLICY
Subject: MEDIA RELATIONS POLICY Policy
Number
Date
Adopted
Date
Revised
46 9/01/04 5/01/19
MEDIA INQUIRIES
Any media inquiry received by other District staff regarding the
District or the District’s position on a matter should be referred
immediately to the General Manager through the Department Chief.
An appropriate response to the media is: "I'm sorry; I don't have
the full information regarding that matter. I will give your
request to District management, and someone from the District
will respond to you as soon as they are available."
Any staff member should obtain the reporter's name, phone number
or cell phone number, topic of the story and deadline. Staff in
the General Manager’s office will make all reasonable efforts to
coordinate a response with the General Manager and appropriate
District staff.
LITIGATION, PERSONNEL AND DISTRICT ELECTION ISSUES
Generally, the business conducted by the District is public, and
therefore, is public information. Inquiries regarding pending
litigation, matters involving a significant exposure to
litigation, certain personnel related information and District
election information are exceptions.
Inquiries regarding pending litigation or exposure to litigation
and District election issues should be referred to the General
Manager’s office.
GENERAL OR ROUTINE ISSUES
Calls from media should always be referred immediately to the
General Manager’s office through the employee's Department Chief
or supervisor. The General Manager’s office will coordinate a
response, including designating a spokesperson.
When the General Manager has designated a spokesperson to respond
to specific questions from the media, the General Manager should
be informed of the topic, the name of the reporter and the
proposed date of airing or publication, either before or
immediately following these interviews.
Page 4 of 5
OTAY WATER DISTRICT
BOARD OF DIRECTORS POLICY
Subject: MEDIA RELATIONS POLICY Policy
Number
Date
Adopted
Date
Revised
46 9/01/04 5/01/19
DISTRICT-INITIATED INFORMATION
The District also makes its own efforts to get in touch with the
media. For the most part, this proactive media contact is
initiated through the General Manager’s office. This includes
issuing press releases and media advisories, and making personal
contacts with reporters and editors for stories and other
coverage. Departments seeking publicity for events or activities
should contact the Communications Officer in the General Manager’s
office as soon as possible to ensure the best media coverage of
their activities.
Department staff members shall not initiate news media contacts on
behalf of the District before notifying the General Manager or
Department Chief.
EMERGENCY/SERVICE OUTAGE ISSUES
Because the Operations Department may be called upon to restore
service due to outages, breakages or in other critical situations,
their work is fundamental to the overall mission of the District.
As a result, Operations personnel may be the only staff at the
scene of an incident and may be called upon to address service
restoration questions by the media.
In these situations, all such inquires will be immediately
referred to the Chief of Operations who will make every effort to
ensure that all information released is accurate, relevant, and
appropriate. Operations staff should notify the Chief of
Operations immediately of any such media inquiry. The Chief of
Operations will then take the lead for follow-up media
communications and contact the General Manager and
Communications Officer.
Any media calls to other District staff regarding Operations
matters should be referred immediately to the Chief of Operations,
and General Manager’s Communications Officer. All information
released directly to the media by Operations should be provided
immediately to the General Manager's Communications Officer.
Page 5 of 5
OTAY WATER DISTRICT
BOARD OF DIRECTORS POLICY
Subject: MEDIA RELATIONS POLICY Policy
Number
Date
Adopted
Date
Revised
46 9/01/04 5/01/19
During a crisis or major emergency, the District’s Standardized
Emergency Management Plan Section 5.1-1 assigns responsibilities
and procedures for handling media and customer information.
CONCLUSION
Nothing in this policy should be construed as to restrict or
preclude an employee of the District or a representative of the
Otay Water District Employee Association (OWDEA) or other
bargaining unit from communicating with the press on matters of
public concern or on matters related to association and/or union
activities. However, such communications should not be made
during duty-time, nor be disruptive to the District’s operations,
and should be clearly understood as not being made on behalf of
the District or representing the District’s official position on
such matters.
Otay Water District – Emergency Response Plan
23
Section 5 Function Leader Assignments
5.1 ASSIGNMENTS
5.1-1 Public Information
PRIMARY ALTERNATE
Employee/Family/News Media
Communications
General Manager Communications Officer
Customer Information Customer Service Manager Customer Service Supervisor
5.1-2 Advisory Support
PRIMARY ALTERNATE
Legal Counsel General Manager Stutz Artiano Shinoff & Holtz,
APC
Board Policy OWD Board President OWD Board Vice President
Safety/Security Control Safety and Security Specialist Chief of Administrative Services
5.1-3 Operations
PRIMARY ALTERNATE
Distribution/Systems Chief of Operations Assistant Chief of Operations
Collection System Utility Service Manager Reclamation Plant Supervisor
Water Quality/Reclamation System Operations Manager Lab Analyst II
Distribution
Maintenance
Utility Service Manager Utility Maintenance Supervisor
Communications (Radio)Utility Service Manager Utility Maintenance Supervisor
Fleet /Pump/Electric Fleet Shop Supervisor Pump Electric Supervisor
Disinfection Water Systems Supervisor Water Systems Supervisor
5.1-4 Emergency Planning
PRIMARY ALTERNATE
Damage Assessment Operations and Engineering Inspection Construction Services
EOC Operations General Manager General Manager Designee
Inter-Agency Communications Chief of Operations Assistant Chief of Operations
Engineering Department Chief of Engineering Assistant Chief of Engineering
5.1-5 Logistics/Resources
PRIMARY ALTERNATE
Personnel Chief of Administrative Services Human Resources Manager
Equipment Fleet Maintenance Supervisor Equipment Mechanic II
Telephone IT Manager Network Engineer
Materials Purchasing & Facilities Manager Procurement & Contracts Analyst
Other Supplies (food, etc.) Purchasing & Facilities Manager Facilities Maintenance Technician
5.1-6 Finance Administration
PRIMARY ALTERNATE
Cost Accounting/Finance
Audit FEMA
Documentation
Chief of Finance Assistant Chief of Finance
Attachment D
OTAY WATER DISTRICT General Manager’s Memo
To: MANAGEMENT
Date: 5/1/2019
Subject: DESIGNATED MEDIA SPOKESPERSONS
Purpose: To designate spokespersons for the Otay Water
District.
Background
The Media Relations Policy was developed in order to establish
procedures to better inform the public, District customers, businesses and other stakeholders about water, sewer, and recycled water service and other District-related matters by
engaging in a defined and proactive media relations program.
The policy was adopted by the Board of Directors on September 1, 2004 as Policy 46 - Media Relations Policy. The Board of Directors also authorized the General Manager to designate spokespersons as per the policy.
Policy
The following positions are authorized to be designated spokesperson for the District:
•General Manager
•Communications Officer
•Department Chiefs
•District Secretary
•General Counsel
____________________________________ General Manager
Attachment E
STAFF REPORT
TYPE MEETING: Regular Board Meeting MEETING DATE: May 1, 2019
SUBMITTED BY: Tenille M. Otero
PROJECT: Various DIV. NO. All
APPROVED BY:
Mark Watton, General Manager
SUBJECT: Informational Item: Campo Road Sewer Replacement Project Community Outreach Update
GENERAL MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION: No recommendation. This is an informational item only. COMMITTEE ACTION: See Attachment A. PURPOSE: To update the Board on status of community outreach related to the
Campo Road Sewer Project. ANALYSIS:
When completed, the Campo Road Sewer Replacement Project will replace 1.41 miles of 10-inch-diameter sewer main with a new 15-inch-diameter
sewer main pipeline in easements that cross the properties of Rancho San Diego Village and the Rancho San Diego Town Center, and in the SR-94 public right of way between Avocado Blvd. and Jamacha Rd.
Construction began in September 2017 and is scheduled to be completed
by late October 2019 after the environmental window for the project opens. To address environmental concerns, the District paused some activities from March 2018 to September 2018 and again in March 2019
to September 2019.
The Public Relations firm, Acqua Community Relations Group (Acqua CRG), formerly Humanability Communications, has managed outreach as a subcontractor on the project since prior to the start of construction.
Acqua CRG’s outreach has consisted of identifying stakeholders, including but not limited to planning groups and local elected officials, developing messaging for print materials and the District’s website, distributing emails, newsletters, door hangers, and notifications to stakeholders, attending construction team
meetings, and participating in public meetings and updating community planning groups.
Acqua CRG and District staff recommends against a media or ribbon cutting event, especially due to the numerous impacts to the project including rain delays, unforeseen utilities, and rock encountered within the planned sewer trench excavation. Instead, the consultant
and staff recommend closing out the project with continued outreach to the community planning groups and other stakeholders, an email newsletter update, a news release, and a direct mail piece that discusses the wildlife benefits of the project.
In a recent construction progress meeting in early April, the contractor confirmed that most of the work on the project should be
substantially complete by late June 2019 except for the following three items:
1. Abandonment of the existing sewer main within the environmentally sensitive area. This will need to wait until
September when the environmental window reopens. 2. Installation of 600 liner feet of Caltrans fiber optic communication conduit located along the dirt area adjacent to
the eastbound shoulder of Campo Road next to the environmentally sensitive area.
3. Final paving of the eastbound shoulder area where the sewer was constructed. The sewer trench is primarily located in the shoulder of the roadway and base paving for a majority of this
trench line has been completed. The final paving of the trench is dependent on the September environmental window opening and
Caltrans. Should Caltrans decide to override the environmental requirement and direct the District to complete the final paving sooner than September, the District will comply with that
requirement. Caltrans made a similar request a year ago in the westbound direction and the final paving work for the westbound
direction was performed in June 2018. Currently, staff anticipates that temporary pavement will be in place until September 2019. Acqua CRG has the following outreach tactics planned from now through
the completion of the project:
• Construction Team Meetings
• Community Planning Groups
• Project Update Email Newsletter
• Updates in Community Periodicals, i.e. Jamul Shopper and Deerhorn Valley News (community news section)
• News Release
• Distribution/Pitching of News Release
The following dates are confirmed for providing updates to the community planning groups:
• Jamula/Dulzura Planning Group, April 23 at 7:30 p.m., Oak Grove Middle School
• Valle de Oro Planning Group, May 7 at 7 p.m., Otay Water
District Training Room
• Spring Valley Planning Group, May 14 at 7 p.m., Otay Water District Training Room FISCAL IMPACT: Joe Beachem, Chief Financial Officer
The funds are included in the Capital Improvement Program for the
Campo Road Sewer Replacement Project. STRATEGIC GOAL:
Execute and deliver services that meet or exceed customer
expectations, and increase customer engagement in order to improve District Services.
1. Enhance and build awareness and engagement among the District’s customers and stakeholders and within the San Diego Region about the District’s strategies, policies, projects, programs, and
legislative/regulatory issues. LEGAL IMPACT: None. Attachments:
A) Committee Action
ATTACHMENT A
SUBJECT/PROJECT:
Informational Item: Campo Road Sewer Replacement Project
Community Outreach Update
COMMITTEE ACTION:
The Public Relations, Legal and Legislative Committee is scheduled to review these items at the monthly Board meeting to
be held on April 17, 2019. The attachment will be updated with notes from the committee’s discussion.