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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 12172013 - C.81RECOMMENDATION(S): ACCEPT Finance Committee's recommendation to include the Voter Education and Information Program as part of the FY 2014/15 Recommended Budget and request the Clerk-Recorder to work with the County Administrator's Office and Human Resources Department to further define the specifics of the program including proposed employee classification and timeline. FISCAL IMPACT: There is no direct cost related to examination of the proposal by the Committee. The estimated $325,000 cost of the proposed program could be funded within the authorized Clerk-Recorder budget from cost efficiencies achieved in the elections process. The cost efficiencies, which are expected to be on-going, have resulted in freed-up general purpose revenues. BACKGROUND: On November 12, 2013, the County Clerk-Recorder requested that the Board of Supervisors refer his proposal to initiate a voter education and information pilot program to create opportunities for the public to become more informed, aware, and involved with current civic APPROVE OTHER RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE Action of Board On: 12/17/2013 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER Clerks Notes: VOTE OF SUPERVISORS AYE:John Gioia, District I Supervisor Candace Andersen, District II Supervisor Mary N. Piepho, District III Supervisor Karen Mitchoff, District IV Supervisor Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor Contact: Lisa Driscoll, County Finance Director (925) 335-1023 I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown. ATTESTED: December 17, 2013 David Twa, County Administrator and Clerk of the Board of Supervisors By: Stephanie L. Mello, Deputy cc: Joseph E. Canciamilla, County Clerk/Recorder C. 81 To:Board of Supervisors From:FINANCE COMMITTEE Date:December 17, 2013 Contra Costa County Subject:Voter Education and Information Program Proposal BACKGROUND: (CONT'D) issues and to foster a culture of civic responsibility and engagement to the Finance Committee. The Finance Committee met on December 9th and discussed the County Clerk-Recorder's proposal to implement a Voter Education and Information Program (proposal is attached). The Committee discussed the proposed timeline including the proposed start date of January 1, 2014 in the context of school schedules, recruitment, budget, and the proposed staff classification including the 'exempt' designator. The Committee recommended that the item be sent to the full Board of Supervisors with a recommendation to include the program as part of the FY 2014/15 Recommended Budget and request that the Clerk-Recorder work with the County Administrator's Office and Human Resources Department to further define the specifics of the program. CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION: Delay in implementation of Voter Eduction and Information Program. CHILDREN'S IMPACT STATEMENT: Not applicable. ATTACHMENTS Voter Education and information Program (proposal) 1    Contra Costa County   Clerk‐Recorder‐Elections Department  555 Escobar Street, Martinez CA       Submitted to the Board of Supervisors   December 17, 2013  By:  Joseph E. Canciamilla, County Clerk‐Recorder and Registrar of Voters    Voter Education and Information Program      An informed electorate, educated and informed about the nature, scope and critical issues  facing decision makers, is a linchpin of our democracy.  To make this happen, it is our  obligation as public servants to provide access to information and to engage the public at all  levels and to encourage the involvement of young people, as well as those who may feel left  out.  My vision is to create a public engagement effort that will develop an array of resources, then  dispatch them into the community to engage and educate in new and creative ways.  OVERVIEW:  I propose to create a new community education and outreach program that will provide opportunities  for the public to become more informed, aware and involved with current civic issues.  This project will  create an education outreach program, tailored for the various stages of learning that incorporates the  use of the iCivics and similar programs, where appropriate.  It will utilize other openly available  resources and programs for older student populations and expand upon existing efforts to reach into  the full age range of our communities.   The effort will focus on providing streams of information for voters and potential voters to learn about  civic engagement, the changing nature of community and how the best ways are to gather and analyze  non‐partisan and unbiased information about candidates and community issues.  It will also provide  information on the broader opportunities that are available for civic involvement and participation.  The effort will work closely with schools, other public agencies and City Clerks to maximize the use of  existing resources, to limit the cost and better incorporate the new outreach efforts into existing  cultures for longer term success.  Our hope is to have citizens who are fully engaged and informed,  about and with their cities and towns, and who can share with others the excitement that comes with  becoming a real part of the community.  Voter Education and Information Program  Joseph E. Canciamilla, County Clerk‐Recorder and Registrar of Voters  2      HISTORY:  The Elections Division has utilized outreach efforts to recruit and retain poll workers and to work closely  with groups to ensure ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance, as well as to assist with voter  registration.  We also must contend with an increasing array of requirements and expectations from the  Secretary of State, as evidenced by the attached memorandums.  The proposed efforts will allow us to  proactively meet and exceed those requirements.    While past efforts have been valuable, they miss opportunities for broader outreach.    Our county is  diverse in many ways, and while that adds to our vibrancy, it also creates zones of isolation.  We lack a  strong media market, which has led to a dearth of resources about community affairs that voters can  access when it rolls into election season.  The Clerk‐Recorder Division has no outreach or civic engagement history or infrastructure, despite its  daily contact through various portals and with many members of the public.   Its service and operations  touch on a wide array of important contact points and provide us with invaluable opportunities for  education and engagement.  We are also facing the prospect of new Outreach Program mandates from the Secretary of State which  have just completed the public comment period.  These proposed rules would set forth requirements on  county election officials to:  • design and implement voter outreach programs;  • consult with interested groups and create public information plans;  • prepare and submit a detailed budget plan.  PROPOSED ACTION:  To develop a voter and community education program that utilizes and engages as many existing  resources as possible.   Methods of community interaction would be through local contacts, including the individual City Clerks  and MAC’s or CSD’s, as well as local elected officials, where appropriate.  Service clubs, schools, business  and labor organizations would be included, as well as local media.  The initial contacts would rely on  local input to develop the detailed plan, and then move into an implementation phase with a goal of  being operational to incorporate information pertaining to the June 2014 primary contests.  Just trying to get someone to register to vote isn’t enough ‐ the efforts must also focus on why  registering and becoming educated about the issues is so important.  That is where programs like iCivics  come in to play.   We would include, for the first time, schools throughout the county via the offering and use of the  iCivics program for appropriate grade levels.    iC ci In ci te iC S n le In te n ci W As of Apri 1,049,025 521,399 o not regist at 44.45%   While inc register to communit    PotentialVotersCivics prepa itizens by cr n 2009, Justi ivic knowled eaching the n Civics compr State Suprem etwork of co egacy of dem n four years, eaching mate ation’s most ivics curricu Web. (From il 2010, Contr 5; with 788,52 or 66.12% we ered.  Our low %; 21‐24 63.78 reasing voter o vote is a key ty and must b  ‐  10,000  20,000  30,000  40,000  50,000  60,000  70,000 Potential VotersVoter Ed Joseph E. Can ares young A eating free ice Sandra D dge and part next generat rises not jus e Court Just ommitted vol mocracy to th iCivics has erials that ha t comprehen ulum that is a iCivics.org) ra Costa Coun 20 eligible to  re registered west register 8% and 25‐34 r registration  y element of  be a major fo 21,954  17,18 18‐20 21‐24 P ducation a nciamilla, County mericans to and innovat Day O’Conn ticipation. Se tion to under t our board tices, Secreta lunteers. Tog he next gene produced 1 ave been use sive, standa available fre nty had a pop vote.  Of that , leaving 267, ed groups we 4 with 52.26% is not the onl a person’s in cus of outrea 1  61,890 62,5 4 25‐34 35‐4 Potential Vo (Eligible  and Inform y Clerk‐Recorder 3    become kno tive educatio or founded i ecuring our d rstand and re and staff, bu aries of State gether, we ar ration. 8 educationa ed in classro rds-aligned eely on the pulation of  t number,  ,121 eligible b ere ages 18‐2 %.    ly goal of this terest and wi ach and educa 565  46,491  13, 4445‐54 55 Age Group oters by Ag but Unregister mation Prog r and Registrar o owledgeable onal materia iCivics to re democracy, respect our sy ut also a nati te, and educa re committed al video gam ooms in all 5 but  20  s proposal, it  illingness to p ation.   ,369  11,111  1 5‐59 60‐64 6 ge Group red) Con res vot Thi the gram  of Voters  e, engaged 21 ls. everse Ameri she realized system of gov ional leader ational leade d to passing mes, as well 50 states. To is clear that t participate in  15,688  11,293  65‐74 75‐84 ntra Costa h sidents that a te, but not re is is more th e eligible pop 1st century icans’ declin d, requires vernance. To rship team of ers and a g along our as vibrant day we offer   taking the tim the wider  5,579  85‐up as 267,121 are eligible t egistered.   an a third of pulation.  ning oday f r the me to  to  f  Voter Education and Information Program  Joseph E. Canciamilla, County Clerk‐Recorder and Registrar of Voters  4                                          Our key goal is to engage and educate, not just for election season, but to incorporate the concepts and  issues of community and what it means in the broader sense to be part of a community.  Supporting the  ideas of participation through the gathering of information, volunteerism, participation in community  organizations and through the political processes.    Utilizing existing resources, along with other low or  no cost options such as iCivics, will assist in developing a long term and sustainable program.    Looking beyond K‐8, we have a true wealth of resources with our Community College system, Cal State  East Bay as well as a number of private colleges and universities, including St. Mary’s College, John F.  Kennedy University and others.  Contra Costa County plays host to a number of very active and large non‐partisan groups like the League  of Women Voters, AAUW, Hispanic Chamber, CAPA and Chambers of Commerce.  Scouting programs  have community participation components, as do many schools, service clubs and our own County  departments and agencies.   Another facet of outreach is already within our system through the hundreds of volunteers who serve  each election as poll workers and inspectors.  They are the front line of our elections and the faces that  almost exclusively represent our contact to the public at large and provide us with a tremendous  resource.    OPERATIONAL ISSUES:  We envision this not becoming a permanent bureaucracy, but serving as a strike team of sorts, in being  able to move quickly and to utilize non‐traditional approaches of engagement that will permit the  program to phase out as  other efforts within communities and schools are phased in.  One of the keys  to success will be in the concept of civic engagement becoming a norm.    18‐20 21‐24 25‐34 35‐44 45‐54 55‐59 60‐64 65‐74 75‐84 85‐up Percentage of Total Unregistered       Voters by Age Group Age Group % Total Unregistered 18-20 8.2% 21-24 6.4% 25-34 23.2% 35-44 23.4% 45-54 17.4% 55-59 5.0% 60-64 4.2% 65-74 5.9% 75-84 4.2% 85-up 2.1% Total 100.0% Voter Education and Information Program  Joseph E. Canciamilla, County Clerk‐Recorder and Registrar of Voters  5      ESTIMATED ANNUAL BUDGET:  1.5 FTE’s     $ 250,000.00  Office and Overhead                30,000.00  Mileage                                          2,500.00  Travel/Training                            5,000.00  Print/Postage                        15,000.00  Web Access/Design                    15,000.00  Specialized contracts                 35,000.00  Misc/unanticipated                     5,000.00  Total:                                     $ 357,500.00                    The program would initially be funded entirely from savings achieved through our department’s efforts  to reorganize and streamline operations, reduce printing, publication and postage costs.  Savings are  anticipated to be in excess of the total cost of this effort.  A part of the startup effort would be to seek   grant funding to support the continuing operation, as well.    Staffing would be variable depending upon operational demands, with only a portion of the 1.5 FTE’s  considered regular status and the balance being utilized from temporary support, as required.   It is  absolutely critical that we are able to maximize the utilization of staff and to provide the most flexibility  for their assignment and scheduling.  To achieve this, I propose that the staff be identified as Assistants  to the Clerk/Recorder/Registrar in exempt positions, aligned with the current Board of Supervisors  Assistants classifications.  As part of our department reorganization, the existing position of Outreach  Coordinator is being refocused to include more of a role in the expansion of our poll worker recruitment  and training programs, as well as working more closely with our GIS and mapping unit to focus on  precinct redesign and polling place identification and development.  The duties will continue to include  community outreach in support of voter registration and that work will be incorporated into this effort  as well.  TIMELINE:  We would begin startup efforts upon approval by the Board with a start date of January 1, 2014.  The  initial focus would be to utilize the interest in the 2014 elections as a means of beginning the outreach,  with the goal of having the program fully operational in time for the beginning of the 2016 Presidential  Election cycle in late 2015.  MEASURING SUCCESS:  x 2014  Program start up and staffed;   x All high schools and secondary schools contacted, with at least one school district in  each Supervisorial District on board;   x iCivics connected to the appropriate teachers on‐site;   Voter Education and Information Program  Joseph E. Canciamilla, County Clerk‐Recorder and Registrar of Voters  6      x Links and other information available on our website;   x Outreach efforts underway to community/non‐profit/political organizations, as well as  media outreach prior to each election cycle;    x Beginning of the on‐going non‐election related program development;    x Creation and dissemination of community and school surveys, to maximize the  development of program options that are meeting community needs;    x Confirmation of all necessary intra‐department funding;  x Identification of and application for other possible outside grant funding options.      ACTION REQUESTED:    Approve the proposal and authorize the Department to move to implement the program;  Approve re‐allocation of existing resources within our Department to begin funding the program;  Permit the creation of the new classification(s) and the hiring of staff, as requested;  Allow for on‐going reporting of our efforts to the CAO.