Thoughts From The Back of the Zoom

19 Sunday Apr 2020

Posted by Michael Calderwood in Beautiful Cambria, Cambria CCSD, Cambria Healthcare District, Cambria Schools, Communicating, Community Involvement, Home, Living Our Values, Local politics, Social Responsibility, Words matter

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Cambria, CCSD, Choices, Community, Community Involvement, Family, Home, Local News, music, Social Responsibility

As we enter year twenty-seven of the Corona Quarantine, Cambrians are doing a pretty good job of adapting to our new reality. Happiness begins at home!

Upstairs Downstairs

My wife and I have separate workspaces where we can write, play our instruments, and goof off. We have a few regular check-ins each day – morning coffee, lunch, afternoon coffee, and Jeopardy.

Her office is set up with an integrated desk for her computer and a cabinet that holds everything; pens, pencils, notepaper, stamps, paper clips, 3×5 index cards, and what I think is either one of the Dead Sea Scrolls or a yellowed press clipping from the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Across the room, her digital piano is set up in the closet, so she can move from the PC keyboard to piano keyboard in a few short steps. Her biggest weapon is her grand piano, which lives upstairs and gets daily vigorous workouts that range from Chopin and Mendelssohn to Lennon and McCartney.

My office is set up in what was a walk-in closet attached to the guest room. It contains a work desk I built to take advantage of a recess in the wall. In addition to my PC and associated devices, I am surrounded by my own musical tools. Most are kept in cases, but one or two are left out within easy reach should the muse strike. Behind me, a curtain conceals a couple of amps that allow me my own vigorous musical-ish workout. It’s mainly about the loud!

Going Digital

Our use of digital technology to keep in contact with the world has expanded. We have mastered Facetime through frequent sessions with the grandkids. It fills part of the void, but nothing replaces reading a book or playing the piano and guitar together. Sitting at the dinner table helps us all learn new scientific facts, like how far pasta can fly before sticking to a sibling’s ear. I miss those zany kids!

We have extended our virtual world to include work, worship, and writing.

Small Adjustments

As a home-based content creator, I have gotten comfortable with social distancing. My weekly sessions with my publisher, as well as client interviews, have been done over Zoom for quite some time. Seeing and hearing the people I’m writing about adds another dimension to the process of building compelling stories.

During a recent interview with the owner of a long-established printing and data management firm, I was struck by the impact the ongoing pandemic was having. On the day we spoke, he sounded exhausted, worried, and determined to keep his business open and delivering for his clients as COVID-19 cut his staff by almost half.

Even in a business with automated workflows, intelligent, data-driven systems, and process-bound operations, the reduction in well-trained, experienced employees was determining whether this family-owned, multi-generational concern could continue to operate.

It is all about people.

Big Adjustments

Jan’s routine has adjusted to the new realities. She has suspended her teaching practice, believing vocal and piano lessons wouldn’t be as useful over the web. Lyra, a woman’s vocal group featuring talented singers from Cambria, has not been able to maintain weekly sessions, leaving a musical and emotional gap in her Wednesday afternoons. The weekly writer’s group she participates in has adopted an virtual meeting format, using Google Hangouts. They gather online to share their works in progress, offer critiques and suggestions, and, most importantly, support each other as writers, artists, and connected creators.

Spiritual Connections

Sunday services are another part of Jan’s evolving routine. The process of moving what had been an in-person communal gathering, with a set flow, into an environment of multiple remote participants, was not trivial. The switch required both simple and complex changes to use online tools to deliver the service and enable congregant participation.

As a contributing musician, figuring out everything from audio levels to synchronization of sound was quite a hill to climb. Fortunately, this community is rich in talented, experienced members with backgrounds in the creative and technical arts. After multiple rehearsals and tech run-throughs, the service is again open to the congregation. People are able to come together as a community. The spirit is willing, and the flesh can wear sweatpants.

Local Government

California’s Brown Act sets the rules for government meetings to ensure transparency and accountability. As the pandemic widened, in-person public gatherings became at first impractical, and then impossible as shelter in place orders were enacted. The Brown Act rules were adjusted to allow for agencies to conduct the people’s business through virtual meetings.

The Cambria Community Services District (CCSD) and the Cambria Community Healthcare District (CCHD) quickly adjusted, conducting web-based meetings to ensure the public’s ability to participate in the process of government. These sessions are accessible through the internet, over the telephone, and, in the case of CCSD, the existing livestream and public access television.

Is This Thing On?

As the CCSD Board and staff work through different processes to hold online meetings, we get to experience every variant of the memes poking fun at web-based sessions.

You’re muted…YOUR MUTED!!!!…UNMUTE YOURSELF!!!!!!!! Sorry, can you hear me? (CROSSTALK) Can you hear me now??? WHY ARE YOU WAVING AT ME????? WHO IS PLAYING THE BACKSTREET BOYS ???? I CAN”T HEAR ANYONE!!! DEAR GOD, IS THAT MY HAIR????? Oh, That’s better. Haley, any public comment? (I learned that you can actually hear and see eye rolls in high definition.)

Familiar

Remote meetings offer Board members and staff the chance to mispronounce regular participants’ names in a whole new forum. Perhaps the abundant stay-at-home time presents the perfect opportunity to learn how to pronounce them correctly. It’s not like they aren’t called two or eight times a meeting! And for goodness sake, if “Elizabeth Bettenhausen” just rolls off the tongue, surely we can manage to put the “T” in the vice-president’s name! Say it with me now – Cindy Siedel…uh, Cindy Seitel, uh, Cindy Steidel – yeah, that’s it!

Hopefully, more Cambrians will find their way to the Zoom Room. Perhaps an inviting graphic might draw some regulars back. How about a pre-roll package featuring a perky, upbeat theme song and an announcer introducing the cast, super-imposed against the backdrop of various Cambria landmarks? “From the beautiful central coast of California, it’s time for CCSD LIVE!!! (canned muttering and grumbling, chairs scraping and agendas rustling.) “And here’s your host, President Harry Farmer!!!!!” (Shot of the blue beetle pulling up and Harry entering the frame from his home.)

Hear Me Roar!

On a more serious note, the current webinar format used by the CCSD has a lot of positives and a few negatives. The ability to participate in the meeting is there, though not in a way that allows citizens to “speak” in their own voice. Instead, public comments are submitted to the Deputy Clerk via email. She then reads them into the public record. A serious objection was raised by a citizen who felt this process was an impediment to full public participation. I understand this objection, though I don’t agree that it blocks engagement. It might feel like voices are being muzzled; however, the words are communicated as they are written. As the need for these virtual meetings continues, the opportunity exists to try different ways of including public comment in its native tongue.

Words Matter

As both a comment-er and a silent observer, I found myself intrigued by hearing public comment read aloud by a neutral party. People generally have a speaking style that is unique to them, and over time it can lull this listener into less than a fully attentive state. At the last meeting, I found myself paying closer attention to the words rather than the delivery. It was a bit disconcerting to hear how harsh many of the comments were. I found myself reacting viscerally and felt less open to understanding the stated points of view.

I had a similar moment of disquiet on last month’s CCHD web meeting when the new Director was sworn in using an extended version of the Oath of Office. The first part was familiar – it is the oath sworn by officials ranging from our CCSD board, our School District board, and even the Governor of California. The second part, however, made me sit up and say, “huh?”

“And I do further swear (or affirm) that I do not advocate, nor am I a member of any party or organization, political or otherwise, that now advocates the overthrow of the Government of the United States or of the State of California by force or violence or other unlawful means; that within the five years immediately preceding the taking of this oath (or affirmation) I have not been a member of any party or organization, political or otherwise, that advocated the overthrow of the Government of the United States or of the State of California by force or violence or other unlawful means except as follows:

_____ (If no affiliations, write in the words “No Exceptions”) _____

and that during such time as I hold the office of _____ (name of office) _____

I will not advocate nor become a member of any party or organization, political or otherwise, that advocates the overthrow of the Government of the United States or of the State of California by force or violence or other unlawful means.”

I checked with the District Administrator to make sure I heard the words correctly. He pointed me to the State of California Constitution. Further examination showed this section was added in the early 1950’s – during the time of the second “Red Scare.” Sound judgment has eliminated the paragraph from current oaths, and hopefully, it won’t make a reappearance in future swearing-in ceremonies.

Beautiful Cambria

Throughout this uncertain time, Cambria’s essential services continue to be delivered by the men and women who keep the water flowing, the ambulances running, and the open spaces available to us to clear our minds and stretch our legs (six feet apart.)

Our grocery stores are doing vital work, keeping shelves stocked with the food, medicines, and consumables we need to keep body and soul together. Thanks!

Our restaurants are adapting to the new reality, transitioning from sit-down establishments to pickup and delivery models. This fills some of the gaps for both the businesses and the residents who support them. Thanks, and hang in there!

Most impressively, the true spirit of Cambria is on display everywhere. Individual citizens and community organizations are shining brightly. Raising money, operating food banks, looking after the kids who depend on school lunches to survive. Making masks and keeping regular communication going out to the community on the many Cambria and San Simeon social media sites. The scope of this beautiful generosity is too great to capture in one paragraph, but the efforts are humbling and heroic.

Beautiful Cambria. Beautiful Cambrians.

Now What?

07 Sunday Oct 2018

Posted by Michael Calderwood in Cambria CCSD, Cambria Healthcare District, Cambria Schools, Coast Unified School District, Community Involvement, Local politics, Parcel Tax, Searching for Cambria's Reality, Words matter

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Cambria. For a “sleepy little seaside community” there sure is a lot of churning going on. Given the range of Cambrians and Cambria-hopefuls, every public dollar that is raised and spent gets a lot of attention. Moreso, every agency and administrator tasked with delivering the services that those dollars are intended to support face ever-mounting public pressure. While the three agencies – the Community Services District, the Healthcare District, and the School District – operate independently of each other, the issues they deal with have similar drivers – taxpayers and ratepayers.

Rate increases for Water, Wastewater and the Sustainable/Emergency Water Facility have been under consideration, with a lot of heat and energy being generated to thwart them through a Proposition 218 protest. That protest effort was unsuccessful, falling short by over 700 protest submissions needed to deny the rate increases.
The Healthcare District has put a measure on the November ballot that would, if successful, levy an additional $35 annually on parcels served by the district to fund needed improvements to the District’s infrastructure, mainly focused on ambulance and facilities needs. The measure was supported by four Board Trustees, with one abstention.
Three seats are up for grabs on the Healthcare District Board. Of the three incumbents, only one declared as a candidate for re-election.
Two of three eligible seats will be on the ballot for the Community Services District. One is held by an incumbent, the other will replace an outgoing Director who chose not to run for another term. The third position – a two-year term – will remain with the currently serving director, as nobody other than the incumbent filed to run for that position.
The School District will not have an election, as nobody but the incumbents applied for the two seats.

It is a challenging time to be an elected member of any of the three main administrative organizations. It is even more dangerous being an administrator of one of these organizations.

CCSD General Manager – Dismissed
CCHD Administrator – Retiring under duress
School Superintendent – Leaving office in January

Ye true “Loyal Natives” attend to my song
In uproar and riot rejoice the night long;
From Envy and Hatred your corps is exempt,
But where is your shield from the darts of Contempt!

Robert Burns 1759 – 1796

Economics

The cost of Cambria living is pretty high, and the traditional working-class families that are the heart and soul of many communities are struggling to take root, or stay rooted in the area. Housing costs are up there for both buyers and renters. The inventory mix is split among primary homes, second homes, vacation rentals, and some multi-family residences. Missing from that list is a reasonable stock of affordable housing options. Hence, some families looking to establish roots are finding Cambria out of reach.

In another bucket – an aging population, many retired, many still working in occupations that have either low or speculative incomes such as artists, musicians, and craftspeople. They are faced with a reality that warns they may no longer be able to stay in the community they have called home for many years.

There are, of course, many residents who are in stable financial positions. I see the continuum sort of like the Circle of Life.

CCSD

The Community Services District continues to be an organization under attack, with the General Manager the focus of an escalating, and ultimately successful battle to separate him from his job.

Some members of the community have been calling for his ouster, laying the blame for everything on his desk. Changes to the makeup of the Board of Directors gave the protesters a stronger voice behind the oak.

Messy

Some of the complaints are valid; mistakes in judgment have been made. Some of the issues could have been handled more skillfully. But many of the problems Cambria face have very little to do with the GM’s job performance and a lot to do with circumstances he had been given to manage, often without clear direction from the board. And as always, not enough resources to fully attack the three billboards of under-funded projects that underpin the health and safety of the water and wastewater infrastructure.

After a flurry of Closed Session meetings – meetings that can generously be defined as sloppily arranged, noticed and reported, the General Manager and the Cambria Community Services District parted ways. The General Manager, Jerry Gruber, received a separation package consistent with the terms of his contract. This enraged some in the community, who believed that he should have been fired for cause.

Based on the lack of any formal performance metrics, evaluation process, corrective action plans and alignment of goals against district objectives, any other resolution would have been both unfair and imprudent.

A search for a replacement will be undertaken. Perhaps a re-examination of the job requirements might lead to a different approach to structuring the district administration. Is it a 1-person job? Are there candidates who really have all the skills and experience to manage a small but complicated community services district?

Personal

democracy From my back of the room perspective, I am both happy and sad that this situation has been resolved. It was clear that the relationship between Mr. Gruber and some members of the board was not good, and getting worse. Nobody was happy, and the longer it went, the uglier the dialog became.

The personal toll it was taking on Mr. Gruber, and his family was tough to watch. As his friend, I saw how it weighed on him. I also saw how he handled it with grace and professionalism. I was able to spend a bit of time with him as the curtain was being rung down, after the first closed session meeting where it was clear that change was imminent. He never said a bad thing about the board, the community or any individual, friend or foe. He pointed to his whiteboard and said he still had work to do, and he would report for duty and do his best until the clock ran out. Mistakes? Yes, mistakes were made, he agreed. Accomplishments? Yes, there were plenty, though often overshadowed by the voices of the perpetually pissed. Such is the life of any executive in any corporate or government agency.

I hope that, with some time and distance, everyone can find their way back to a less heated and more positive mindset. Some will, some won’t.

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.
The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones;
So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus
Hath told you Caesar was ambitious:
If it were so, it was a grievous fault,
And grievously hath Caesar answer’d it.
Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest–
For Brutus is an honourable man;
So are they all, all honourable men–

From Julius Caesar, By William Shakespeare

RATES

Sometimes I wonder if I attend the same meetings as others in the community.

For the past five-plus years I’ve listened to presentation after presentation from the GM and staff, as well as committee members charged with studying rates and fees that fund the district’s deliverables. In chart after chart, key infrastructure projects have been identified, risks described, actions taken, improvements made and improvements deferred. Many of these presentations were accompanied by cautions that projects postponed or upgrades delayed would add to the growing danger to the systems that deliver our water and take away and process our waste. PowerPoint after PowerPoint showed failing components, as well as repairs and replacements that had occurred. In each instance, the GM, or a Director, made the point that we continued to fall behind and that the revenue that comes into the District is significantly less than what is required to maintain everything.

To sharpen my thinking, I reached out to accomplished leaders I have worked with through my career to see if they might have insights into this complex challenge. I was connected, through a mutual friend, to Susan Leal, a noted expert on environmental, legislative and global water and infrastructure issues. I gave her a brief description of the situation, and she graciously responded with a simple, yet clear truth.

“My guess is that the rate increases surrounding water and wastewater are difficult to swallow—especially after the rates have been frozen or otherwise not kept up with the cost of delivering service. Management of wastewater is often more expensive than water supply especially when the infrastructure is old and in need of an upgrade.

Bottom line: in California and in growing number of areas throughout the country: we need to use less water and be prepared to pay more for it. I know that’s not comforting, but that’s often the reality.”

Wait a minute – we have had rate increases for years. Where did that money go???

Never Enough

As pointed out numerous times, the increases that were put into place were too gentle. The sensitivity to the taxpayer/ratepayer wallet overshadowed the economics of providing the services. I am often perplexed as to why this tidbit is rarely mentioned in a rush to find malfeasance, misconduct, incompetence and a million other reasons for opposing what, to many are rational and needed increases. As we track the effects of the newly-approved rates, it might be a good idea to maintain awareness that, even with the new revenue, it will not be enough to fund all the identified needs.

Keep Listening

Despite falling significantly short of protests, a good number of ratepayers spoke out in opposition to the increases. Many feel that the district has been and continues to be fiscally mismanaged, and demand a better accounting of how ratepayer money is spent. Others objected due to the financial hardship the increases will have on them as they struggle to maintain a life in Cambria. All of these concerns need to be considered as we move forward, and it will not be an easy road to navigate unless all involved make a real effort to work together for solutions that equitably and practically benefit as many of us as possible.

Goodness

On the bright side, the recently – formed and empowered Finance and Infrastructure committees have been doing great work, really digging in and identifying areas of improvements to process, evaluation, tracking and reporting to the Board, and by extension to the community. The committee members are smart, committed and collaborative – a great example of citizens working towards improving rather than decrying Cambria’s governance. Their efforts, backed by a pledge to jealously oversee the fiscal management of the district, should make us all feel more confident that the health of the community will be fairly and objectively managed.

School District

img-logo3 The Coast Unified schools are struggling. Depending on how one looks at the data, the schools are failing, really failing, or beyond all hope. A declining enrollment, fueled by the economic climate in town, is putting pressure on the district to balance everything from course offerings to staffing. This uncertainty is triggering a growing number of parents to move their kids to different schools, some private and some public. This is a tough choice for many, as the schools they are choosing are towns away. This often means travel expenses, tuition costs, and significant changes to the schedules of the parents and students. It also adds to the stigma, fair or unfair, of the Coast Union school system.

No Confidence

The School Superintendent has been under fire for her performance. She has been equally under fire for her compensation, which is quite healthy. Taken separately, both are problems for a small community with a changing school profile. Together, they form an obstacle that can’t be ignored. Add to this list a very public vote of “no confidence” by a near-unanimous roster of Cambria’s teachers.

Under significant public pressure led by concerned parents, teachers, and interested community members, the Board came to an agreement to end the relationship with the current Superintendent.

Healthcare District

header Over the past few months, I’ve taken a semi-casual look at how the Healthcare District is run. I reached out to all the elected Trustees and asked a series of questions based on my simple understanding of the organization, and my perceptions of how they were operating as an elected board. I received replies from four of the five members. Each response had different degrees of detail, from very short and unhelpful to very detailed and thoughtful. Each respondent was careful to stay within the bounds of the Brown Act as it relates to privacy, confidentiality and the appearance of “serial meetings’ – meaning each response was singular and addressed to me only.

My second approach was outreach to the staff that manages the district. I sent a detailed letter to Administrator Sayers, which contained reasonably detailed questions driven by my observations and by questions, comments, and positions taken by community members, particularly three members of a citizen’s committee that worked closely with some of the Board on issues and opportunities around the fiscal management of the District. The three members of that committee are all running for Trustee positions in the upcoming election.

Mr. Sayers responded with excellent, detailed information, and answered the questions I posed as best he could, again within the bounds of confidentiality and privacy. I was able to follow up with more detailed questions based on his responses, and he continued to respond with information and feedback from other staff members. Mr. Sayers was open, honest and most importantly professional in the way he conducted the dialog.

Mr. Sayers will be leaving his position at the end of the year.

UPDATED 10/7 – Mr. Sayers has left the organization.

Public Presentations

Before the upcoming election, the community will have had the opportunity to see and hear the candidates for both the Healthcare District and the Community Services District. Small, invite-only gatherings are being hosted by citizens and groups within the community for the various candidates. Larger, more formal events will feature the candidates in a managed and moderated setting. The public will have the opportunity to engage in the process.

The Healthcare District Forum was held in late September. The three challengers – Iggy Federoff, Laurie Moyer-Mileur, and Bill Rice joined incumbent candidate Bob Putney for a well-moderated session that gave each candidate the opportunity to define themselves and their positions. The event was well-attended and respectfully conducted.

The Community Services District Candidates – challengers Cindy Steidel, Dennis Perry, and Donn Howell will join appointed incumbent Aaron Wharton and write-in candidate Steve Kniffen for a two-hour event on Wednesday, October 10th. The forum will be moderated by the League of Women Voters and will take place at the Joslyn Center on Main Street. I am looking forward to the session, and expect it will also be well attended.

Cambria, anything but sleepy!

Thoughts From The Back Of The Room

Category Archives: Cambria Healthcare District