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The Letter

26 Thursday Jul 2018

Posted by Michael Calderwood in Cambria CCSD, Cambria Fire Department, Community Involvement, Local politics, Measure A-18, Parcel Tax, Searching for Cambria's Reality, Social Media, Uncategorized

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Amanda Rice, BlueCrest, Cambria, Cambria community services district, Cambria Fire Department, Community, Community Involvement, Emergency Services, Leadership, local board meetings, Parcel Taxes

I’m having one of those days where past and present seem to swim together, leaving little wakes that diverge and overlap, rising and falling in free form. I’m feeling like these should somehow be tied together in a story, but I’m kind of afraid of screwing it up by forcing these thoughts and feelings into combinations that sound right in theory but kinda suck in practice.

But that never stopped me before, so…

Then and Now

I was happy to see that the business I devoted a lot of my life’s second act to today emerged as a stand-alone enterprise, free from the constraints of a larger corporate brand that at times helped, but also hindered the healthy evolution of a premier brand in a niche industry.

Pitney Bowes Document Messaging Technologies is now BlueCrest, with a new brand, a new market freedom, and I am sure the same hungry spirit, staffed by creative, innovative technologists and thought leaders. 

Catching glimpses of familiar faces in tweets and press releases was a gift I wasn’t expecting. I am happy for them, and a little envious that I’m not there to experience their next successful chapter.

Go get’ em, BlueCrest!

Document Messaging Technologies-BlueCrest  

Leadership

Over the course of my career, I got to experience leadership in all shapes and styles. When I wandered into Danbury looking for a short-term temp job to help me support my family, (as playwright Robert Andersen once said, “you can make a killing but you can’t make a living in the theatre”) the production mail business was very small, and very much behind in the industry. That changed rapidly, driven by a team of brilliant designers, engineers, field service professionals and support groups that somehow managed to take what at the time was undisciplined, adventurous passion and energy and form a world-class organization.

Building that business required a leadership team that could harness the chaos, set big goals and motivate everyone to work together. They had to figure out how to deal with the brilliant, the stubborn, the dreamers and the grind it out-ers who had to come together to build the business.

From the outside, that leadership team may have looked just as diverse and disheveled as the rest of the workforce. But they were far from that. Today, as I sit in the back of the room watching and listening as our community leaders make sense of complicated issues, I find myself thinking about lessons I learned from those who mentored me. I remember things they said and did, things that are stored away in my mental file cabinet, available for revisiting and reuse.

Empowerment, Given And Taken

‘It’s your business, do what you think.’ Brian Baxendale, a gregarious and insightful leader, had the ability to see the potential capabilities of an employee and provide the right amount of permission tempered with the right amount of firm guidance. He remains an inspiration to many of us who got the chance to try things, to fail, and to try again.  

Cambria’s recent struggle with the issues around our Fire Department gave our community an opportunity to engage in passionate debate about how we view our world, and how we want to see it in the future. Cambria is rich in so many ways, but that richness doesn’t extend to the financial realities many of us face.  It has been interesting to observe and participate in the spirited discussions in support of or in opposition to a tax measure that would fund three firefighter positions. The conversations revealed more political and philosophical facets than I expected.

There were supporters of the measure who face real economic pressures, yet valued the service the firefighters bring to the community. There were those who feel the same economic pressures who opposed the measure because it would have a real impact on them. Many of us are staring at increased costs for all the services we rely on, with limited opportunities for a complimentary increase in personal income. There are people who are more financially secure who supported the measure because the tax would not cause them pain, and the additional capabilities were viewed as cheap insurance against a high-probability fire event. There were those similarly positioned who believe the extra manpower was unnecessary, as the coverage provided by both local and county/CalFire departments is more than sufficient. There are supporters who respond emotionally (“these are our guys!!!”) and detractors who see everything as corrupt and driven by greed (those bastards are at it again!!!)  And there are many, both supporters and opponents, who check some of the boxes in all of these categories.

A Loss

The reality though is that after all the tumult the measure was not successful. The supporters delivered a 54% tally, which fell considerably short of the required supermajority of 66%.  

Analysis of the outcome provided some insights, notably that within each area of Cambria those who voted – and voter turnout was not great – delivered a majority “yes” vote. Like they say, close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades… but is there a message in the 54%, beyond just winning and losing?  

bigboard

Can I get the Home Version of “Steve Kornacki’s Big Board”?

Informal polling, which has mainly been me asking people stuff, revealed that there was a real information gap in what the measure would do and how it would affect the fire services going forward. I was surprised to find that some folks thought the tax would add three additional members to the fire department. They did not realize that the defeat of the measure would result in the loss of three full-time professional firefighters. Of course, there were a lot of good, reasoned “no” votes, based on well-informed and considered rationale.

They Persisted

‘I’d like to try anyway.’   Ajay Ghia combined a studious, low-key approach with an unshakable determination to follow a course he knew was right. While presenting an acquisition recommendation to the corporate “C Suite” , he was met with a curt “you’re not going to convince me this is a good idea” from a notoriously difficult executive. After a beat Ajay replied, “I’d like to try anyway.” He then made a presentation that supported his position. The executive still did not agree, but he didn’t expressly kill the idea. Ajay and team went on to follow his strategy, the acquisition was made, and it became the platform for a series of systems that transformed the competitive landscape.

The members of the Cambria Fire Department are a determined and committed team who believe what they do is essential and critical to the health and safety of the community. They are also very dedicated to each other’s safety and success. As the community wrestled with the questions posed by Measure A-18, the firefighters continued to seek out ways to fund the three at-risk positions. The three firefighters had been hired under an earlier SAFER grant, which covered the cost for a period of two years. One of those efforts entailed applying for a second SAFER grant from FEMA.

Same Name, Different Rules

The difference between the first grant and the second grant is not trivial. Having seen the lack of follow-up from many communities who received the first round of grant funding, FEMA changed the rules and added a requirement that the governing agencies (CCSD) had to commit in writing to increasing levels of matching funds across the life of the award. This requirement raised the barrier to success considerably.   As opposed to the revenue A-18 would have provided, the cost of the match would fall to the CCSD, and by extension the community, with no additional revenue source to cover the expense.

Ready, Fire, Aim

‘Interesting, but Irrelevant’ Rick Jablonski, Sales Leader and strategist, would occasionally use this phrase when discussions would wander a bit and stall on issues that were tangential to the decisions that needed to be made. I find myself using it a lot lately.

Because the challenge wasn’t daunting enough, the staff report, required when matters are put before the board for consideration, contained a suggestion that funds currently directed to the support and maintenance of the Fiscalini Ranch might be redirected to the fire department. The funding deficit that would be then applied to the ranch would be filled by a potential parcel tax that would be dedicated to the ranch upkeep.

(Cue inspirational music)

The Fiscalini Ranch is a majestic oasis, with a history that in many ways defines Cambria.

20121002_123305

Note to self – remember sunscreen!

It means many things to many people, and there are community-based organizations that dedicate time and money to keep it safe and vital. Walking the bluff trail and sitting on one of the unique and beautiful benches is my version of going to church. 

I don’t quite know where that proposal came from, or how much thought went into the ramifications of proposing it in this context, but it sure landed with a big BOOM. Suggesting that taking steps to “unfriend” the Ranch stirred a response that filled the cozy meeting room with community members who likely would riot (politely and gently) should the suggested actions gain approval.

Reverberations!

‘Is this resonating?’ Bernie Gracy has been described as having “a brain the size of a small planet.” He was and is a tireless innovator with a passion for 100 + slide PowerPoint presentations, delivered with spell-binding energy and intelligence. He would always make sure to pause, wave his arm in front of the screen and ask the audience “is this resonating?”  A great reminder to validate that what we say is well understood.

This suggestion did two things; one positive and one amazingly damaging. On the positive side, the immediate and passionate response brought into crisp focus just how much the community will support and protect the Ranch. A smaller, though equally important effect, was carrying more of the community to the meeting, where they could see and hear the issues in person, and not have to rely on others, including me, to tell them what happened. Many of us who share our views and recollections do so through the lens of our own positions, which can unfairly shade the story as it is retold. A shining exception to that is Kathe Tanner, our long-serving journalist who has seen it all and told it all. Her report of the meeting was crisp, factual and spin-free.

The damaging part of the recommendation was that it cast the firefighters as villains, and gave fuel to opponents who had both subtly and overtly positioned them in that light throughout the discussion leading up to the June vote. That battle was pretty brutal, and the rank and file of our small but mighty fire department were put in the position to represent themselves in the debate.  They had the disadvantage of being firefighters and not accomplished debaters, opinion shapers, or skillful public commentators. Nor were they inclined to get down in the mud with some opponents filled with a weird rage built on a worldview that everything CCSD is corrupt, incompetent, greedy or otherwise evil. Instead, they had to make their case again, having seen the community not support their cause through the ballot box, yet facing what they believe is a serious staffing shortfall.

Facts and Reason

What was meant to be a simple, administrative and policy discussion to determine if the required letter of commitment should be issued quickly changed as the Board saw the furor the public release of the supporting staff report set off across the town. Board President Amanda Rice did an excellent job of setting the correct expectations for what was to be discussed and considered, and what was not to be considered. The ” not” was the linkage of Ranch funding to Firefighter funding, or any other method for funding the required grant match. The other members of the board added similar commentary, and also expressed a bit of discomfort with the inclusion of it in the report. This demonstration of leadership from the board went a long way towards averting unnecessary and destructive commentary from a rightfully upset gathering of citizens and Ranch lovers.

The Public, Speaking 

‘Here’s my sense of the thing…’was the signal that Karl Schumacher had finished his process of examining an issue and coming to a recommendation. This phrase artfully set the table for a well-reasoned and insightful answer rather than a partisan position. Amazingly effective and diplomatic.

Objections

With the floor open for public comment, community members shared their thoughts on the issue at hand. Most of the comments were in opposition to the request for commitment. Some arguments were made using perceived deficiencies and inaccuracies in the grant application, and the long-range financial impact the funding requirement would have on the fiscal health of the district. Issues raised also included the thought that the recent defeat of A-18 was a clear signal that the community had spoken and did not want tax dollars spent on funding the fire department positions. This position had been shared by a fair number of people on social media prior to the meeting.

Support

I spoke in favor of supporting the grant, sharing my belief that the staffing levels advocated by the fire department, and endorsed by every fire professional I had interviewed, were both sensible and necessary. I also shared my dismay at the proposal to take from Fiscalini and give to Fire Department, likening the use of that tactic to Fake News – tossing an incendiary topic into the middle of a serious issue, resulting in a splatter of shrapnel that causes injury to common sense and thoughtful discourse. I also made a pitch for treating those with opposing views, and in this particular situation our firefighters, with less disdain and more respect.  Cambria Health District Board President Jerry Wood, speaking as a private citizen, also voiced support for the measure.

Convincing

The most resonant and reasoned presentation came from Ted Siegler, a highly capable and respected community member with in-depth knowledge of the District’s financial condition as well as the working of the Fiscalini Ranch. Ted has served and continues to serve in leadership roles on multiple committees and boards, including the CCSD Finance Committee and Fiscalini Ranch organizations. I think I also saw him on the Senate Intelligence Committee and the House Armed Services committee, but that may have been different prominent white-haired guys.

Ted laid out a clear set of facts, challenged some of the numbers that were included in the staff report, and concluded with the position that due to the district’s fiscal condition it would be irresponsible to take on additional financial responsibilities with no offsetting increase in revenues. It was practically impossible, absent a purely emotional motivation, to disagree with his findings and recommendation.

Decision Time

The talking stick was returned to the board, and they had further discussion about what they were about to decide. Cambria Fire Captain and grant writer Emily Torlano answered questions and clarified some information about how the grant was written and submitted. She noted that there was a question in the grant application that asked if the agency would like to request a financial hardship waiver of the matching funds requirement. The decision to check “no” had been made based on previous practice and with the thought that checking “yes” might have a negative impact on the application. It should be noted that the grant application process was begun well before Measure A-18 was placed on the ballot – a reasonable action given the uncertainty of the funding options to maintain the three firefighters hired under the original grant.

Before voting, the question was raised whether the Grant Application could be amended to change the hardship checkbox to “yes.” It was clear that the vote was going to go against the request, and options including not responding at all, returning with a brief decline – to – commit funding letter, or something else that would have the same effect but not incur a red mark against Cambria should future grant opportunities arise. In the end, the language used in the letter articulated the reasons for the decision to not commit. They were: District’s uncertain financial condition, and the defeat of Measure A -18. 

Next 

The decision the board made, while disappointing to some of us, was the right one for the community. As messy as it got, the Board showed solid thinking, compassionate listening, and excellent, committed leadership. 

The firefighters were a bit disheartened, but I believe they left feeling they got a fair hearing from the board and most of the community. There is no gloating or complaining to be done here; there should be some comfort in knowing the process worked, our voices were heard, and our elected leaders did their job with intelligence, honesty, and fairness. I hope we take that forward with us as we steam full speed ahead into the next hurricane of rate increases and ambulance taxes.

UPDATE

Shortly after the decision was made to withdraw the grant application, the Cambria Fire Department was notified that their application had been approved and the grant awarded. They had to decline.

 Pat Carberry spent his professional life leading different functions with grace, wit and compassion. Pat was also a hard-nosed businessman when necessary. He served in Vietnam as an Army Green Beret, but rarely spoke about his service. Pat was famous for the “Letters From God” that he’d read at the retirement parties of fellow PB’ers. When it came time for him to retire, he took a very different approach. He spoke quietly, and shared, ‘I’ve seen the horrific things human beings have done to each other.” A pause, then he looked at each one of us and said “Love one another.’

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Quote

Then I said…

04 Saturday Jun 2016

Posted by Michael Calderwood in Cambria CCSD, Community Involvement

≈ Leave a comment

My comments to the CCSD Board and the community at the continued session on June 2nd.

Michael Calderwood, Cambria

Good afternoon Madame President, Board, and members of the community.

As I was thinking about whether I wanted to speak today, the following popped up on my Twitter feed – it’s from the great American Playwright John Patrick Shanley who said: “Some days I wake up bold. On these days I pray for the strength to be silent. Other days I wake up meek, and hope for the courage to speak.”

Maybe I should have gone back to bed!

I’d like to make three quick observations and suggestions as we all move through the current issue of the General Manager’s proposed employment contract.

First – I support Mr. Gruber and think the proposed contract is not unreasonable.  I base this on my analysis of the proposal, the roles and responsibilities of the job, the inter-connectedness of those responsibilities, the complexities of managing those responsibilities, and the forces in play that make those responsibilities increasingly difficult to successfully execute against. I factor in his experience, education, certifications and domain expertise in the key issues we face, – water, wastewater and infrastructure.   If we are to be fair, we need to take each responsibility, break it down into it’s main components, match required skills and experience to them, set sensible goals, define performance metrics, and use them to measure relative success.  Then we would take all of these factors, map them against each other, find the intersections, and find a methodology to measure the difficulties and assign  values to them.  And that is just to get to the mechanics of designing fair compensation.

That’s a simplified view of the situation, and I’m sure I missed about a dozen other factors that could be used.

I assume there is some version of these criteria that exists, and a set of metrics that you use to assess Mr. Gruber’s performance and determine a fair comp plan that has value to everyone.

I would suggest that the board and the community would be well served by sharing those objectives and measures.  As of now everyone is guessing – myself included – and basing many of our positions on  what we think rather than what we know. I think this might be a good proactive example of “TRANSPARENCY” – the rally cry of the moment.

To the issue of TRANSPARENCY, I’d argue that the community demanding it should up their game, and begin by defining exactly what they want.  I suggest taking an issue or three, sitting down and having a real, thoughtful discussion, come up with a consensus and present it to the board, or even the larger community – whoever you feel needs to be involved.  The current method of expression feels hollow and  ineffective if change is what is desired.  How can anyone be expected to be “Transparent” if the specifics are undefined? What value is there in playing the dreaded “gotcha” game?

Transparency is a two-way street.  This Board is elected by all the citizens, and when elected are responsible for representing all of us – the vocal and the quiet.

Thank you for your time.

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Quote

Don’t quote me but…

29 Sunday May 2016

Posted by Michael Calderwood in Cambria CCSD, Community Involvement

≈ 1 Comment

I bet we all have a few phrases or quotes that we carry around in our heads, and sometimes they pop out at the right moment to punctuate a thought, idea or observation.  Some may be famous and frequently used, others obscure or one-off comments someone shared with you.  This past week, two of these phrases popped into my head as I once again took my place in the back of the room during the monthly CCSD public meeting.

The outrage from a subset of the community continued on from the last session.  This time  the outraged came equipped with home-made signs that carried the message “Cambrians are tapped out!!!” with a graphic of a faucet dripping chocolate gold coins.  Maybe they were doubloons. Probably not bitcoin though – after all, this is Cambria!  It struck me as a bit funny, since a different group of Cambrians used a similar tap graphic as their logo last year as they rallied in support of the very Board and measures that today’s protesters  are decrying.  (*Note to self – design a new, dynamic graphic that can be licensed to anyone on any side of any issue, donate  part of the proceeds to GROAN – Group Rage Over Anything New.  **Additional note to self – form GROAN, incorporate, sell memberships, build striking new headquarters (but not in Cambria) with no water fountains, and make it super-exclusive by allowing membership to only people who agree with the platform and can demonstrate the ability to get spun up on a test issue in 30 seconds or less.  ***Additional note on note to self on note to self – great Franchise opportunity for GROAN, using the soon-to be branded and proprietary “Pick a Protest” process.  (Available in Cambria for Cambrians, but must be surrounded by a big wall that Morro Bay will be forced to pay for.)  ***** Take all additional profits, become a greedy big time developer.)

No matter – the message was clear.  The escalating cost of service was reaching an unsustainable level for some in the community.  This was the first meeting after CCSD customers received their water and sewer bills which reflected the recently enacted rate increase – an increase that was not insignificant.  It also coincided with the ongoing discussion about the proposed raise for the CCSD’s General Manager, which is also not insignificant.

Several community members strode to the podium during the public-comment section of the meeting.  Almost all of them spoke forcefully against the proposed raise and were quite vocal in their distain for the General Manager and the Board.  There were some very good observations, and some very personal and distasteful accusations that did nothing to further the discussion and in my view added some tarnish to the speakers.  One community member had the courage to come forward and voice his support for the Board and the Staff, and in a poignant and respectful way he acknowledged the positions of some in the crowd but reminded us that, in America, we all have the right to build our futures through our own efforts and realize our dreams of building a home for ourselves and our families: The American Dream.  He was later berated for expressing that opinion.

The meeting went on, and every update or staff report was followed by muttering and small outbursts from the crowd.  It became increasingly clear to me that nothing would go by without comment, and no comment would be good or supportive.  Everything that was shared by the General Manager, every response to every issue raised was decried as “Lies!! Spin!!!  Bullspit!!!! ”  I mean, it got really stupid after a while, to the point that the GM could have just said “the sky is blue” and he would be deemed a liar and heretic.  Crazy stuff indeed.  Every comment from a Board member, legal counsel, District Engineer – didn’t matter.  It was embarrassing.

Particularly bad was the behavior of two individuals, both long-time community activists who have spent lifetimes fighting for causes they believe are important.  They both seem to do a lot of homework and advocate passionately for their positions.  One is a real bulldog on fiscal issues and comes fully armed with a long list of what I guess are questions, but come out as accusations.  This community member starts off fine, but within a very short time winds up screaming at the Board President and ends with demands for answers at a pitch and volume that I swear knocks birds out of the sky.

The second activist claims the high ground of environmental stewardship, but also carries the spear against growth.  This community member strikes me as the more dangerous of the two, because the arguments are filled with “facts” that are often just not facts at all, but are presented so aggressively that they gain the air of truth through the force of personality.  I’m reminded of the playbook followed by Donald Trump – talk big, talk loud, be outraged, pick a target, blame everyone else, claim unfair treatment, blame the victim.  I was particularly unnerved by the last line shouted at the Board about an ongoing lawsuit supported by the activist.  “…this lawsuit – it’s your own fault; you caused  it by your actions”  Sounded a lot like the things you hear from abusers – “…Look at what you made me do!!!”

Anyway, about those quotes.

A lifetime ago I made my way in the Arts, working as a musician and composer.  I got to spend time with a lot of different artists – real pros who you might not know by name or sight, but you would definitely know by sound.  I was at a party at the home of dear friends who own a Production House back in NYC.  Every year they would host a gathering at their home in Golden’s Bridge.  A stage would be set up, drums, keys, amps and mics laid out, and the floor opened to anyone who wanted to get up and jam.  Oh, the jams!  I was chatting with Bob, who had been the keyboard player for a very successful group that enjoyed more than a few top-ten pop hits in the 70’s and 80’s; I still hear a few of them in commercials, and of course on the radio.  Bob was and is a very mellow, peaceful and introspective person who happened to play a lot of instruments and had an almost freakish vocal range.  I had contracted him to sing on a project I was producing, and he ended up being the de facto vocal arranger on a few tracks.  We were catching up on life, and he told me he had pretty much retired from performing and had dedicated his life to teaching music at the high school level.  When I asked him why, he hit me with the phrase that still makes me chuckle yet explains it perfectly.

“I’ve done the rock star thing for a long time.  But I realized that it was time to put away the leather fanny pack and move on.”  I laughed out loud, then realized it was a perfect summary of where he saw his life’s work heading.

The second quote that sticks with me comes from Charles DeGaulle who famously said “The graveyards are full of indispensable men.”  Wow.

The ongoing cry for change is everywhere.  People are really angry about pretty much everything.  The anger is currently pointed at the leadership of the CCSD, and the vitriol grows uglier with each passing day.  The freeing power of Social Media makes us all instant opinion makers who can quickly build up small armies of supporters and opponents.  Things are said with no filters.  Or facts.  They are smushed together with opinions sprinkled with lies.  Rinse and repeat.  A turnout of about 40 people is trumpeted as “HUGE!!!!”  Vocal, maybe, but huge?  Out of a population of over 6,000?  Less than 1%?  What about the other 99%?  Is that equation only reserved for certain occasions?  Based on recent voter response  to Board elections and protest opportunities, there are clearly way more than 40 people who hold similar views but even with that, the majority of Cambrians have been supportive of the Board and the GM.  The percentages may be shifting as more people feel the bite of higher rates, or are captured by the surge of anti-whoever is in charge today. I certainly don’t think those voices should be ignored or disregarded because they have not reached majority.  And I truly do not believe the Board or Staff holds that view.  I do believe it is time for change, but the change I think would be helpful is a bit different.

In my back-of-the room opinion, I think it is time for two of the long-time activists to put away the leather fanny packs and allow different, less offensive but just as passionate people to come forward and take the reins.  I really believe that these two leaders have moved from positive to negative forces.  I believe they have lost their way and have moved into that place where the only thing that matters is the battle, and not the cause.  I believe they are keeping good people, smart people and committed people away from the process through their behaviors.  I believe it is time for them to be celebrated, thanked for their valuable and passionate advocacy, and elevated to the position of respected advisors, the keepers of the scrolls.  But put down the cudgels and give others the chance to find progress through cooperation, respectful disagreement, and hopefully real solutions.  The squeaky wheel gets the grease; the worn-out wheel needs to be replaced.  Read the message, don’t shoot the messenger.

“The graveyards are full of indispensable men.”  And women.  Give it a rest.  You fought the good fight.

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