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1730 MADISON ROAD • CINCINNATI, OH 45206 • [PHONE REDACTED] • FAX [PHONE REDACTED] MANAGEMENTPARTNERS.COM 2107 NORTH FIRST STREET, SUITE 470 • SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA 95131 • [PHONE REDACTED] • FAX [PHONE REDACTED] 3152 RED HILL AVENUE, SUITE 210 • COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA 92626 • [PHONE REDACTED] • FAX [PHONE REDACTED] STRATEGIC PLANNING BACKGROUND MATERIALS Themes Identified through Council Members, Focus Groups and Survey An effective strategic plan is informed by knowledge of current trends and demographic data that affect and shape the community. In addition, an effective plan reflects common or shared perspectives and opinions about the organization and community. This document summarizes the results of considerable outreach and public input gathered through the following means: • Council interviews • Focus groups • Community input in public settings and via an online survey Management Partners held one-on-one interviews with all five City Council members and conducted six focus groups, which engaged supervisors, managers, line staff and an array of community representatives. The City conducted outreach to the community through a number of community events and via an online survey, including the Fourth of July Celebration, an Open House at City Hall, Futbol Club Opening Day and an online survey. Please review the information presented on the following pages prior to our workshop on Saturday, September 22. The information has been used to inform the activities and discussion we will engage on as a team. If you have any questions, you are welcome to contact Nancy Hetrick of Management Partners at (408) 437-5400. Section I below presents compiled themes from Council interviews and stakeholder focus groups. Additional input gathered through community outreach is in presented in Section II that follows. I. Council and Focus Group Themes El Cerrito’s and uniqueness • Changing and progressive city built upon an educated community • Confidence in municipal leadership and employees who are trusted by the public and known for their dedication to professionalism and customer service • Good rapport is maintained between the city staff, city council and community • Transparency is maintained and improved by incorporating technology and a “Be Obvious” mentality • Community engagement, involvement and willpower to fix issues • Varied demographics • Ethnic and economic diversity in the community 1 Attachment 1. Background Materials (Agenda Item ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 2 • Small town in an urban setting • Location, including its proximity to San Francisco and Berkeley • Geographic features and climate • Lower crime rates than neighboring cities • A higher quality of life, thanks to well-educated families and higher incomes • Responsive city staff with excellent customer service skills who listen to community ideas • Prompt, capable and responsive public safety • Available and involved city staff at community events • Long-term commitment to environmental issues • Regionally renowned recycling center • Accessibility to Greenway bicycle/pedestrian trail • Widespread support for community arts and music, such as “worldOne” • Good, safe place to raise a family in a community oriented environment • Attractive neighborhoods with affordable housing • Well maintained parks and open space • Good roads • Access to a Community Center and various community resources • City resourcefulness to maintain service during a rough economy • Homey, friendly and familiar community • Strong resident outreach via newsletter and the informative city website Limitations • Lack of a central hub or city center • Impacts due to budget cuts and available funds from the State government • Lack of improvements and upgrades to the library, community centers and public facilities • Lack of control over outside agencies (roads/Caltrans, BART, sewers) • Funding to attend to conflicting priorities from the City and the community • Lack of diversity within City leadership • Lack of establishing a common and well known community identity • Lack of dining options, entertainment venues, shopping, and grocery stores • Lack of walkability • Lack of funding for the library • Business hostile environment through the City • Limited city finances available in the budget • Limited State & County budgets • Lack of sporting facilities and programs for teens and adults • Lack of playgrounds and child recreational opportunities • Struggling school systems • Lack of in-town employment • The city is built out 2 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 3 Opportunities for El Cerrito • Develop a comprehensive business strategy to foster more commercial growth • Raise awareness and take action towards sustainable operations including building community gardens and prompting the public to invest in alternate methods of transportation • Partner and cooperate with neighboring cities, counties and communities to coordinate development and growth • Look at how to redevelop sites like Portola and Windrush or re-designate unused parking for other purposes • Focus on adopting a General Plan and Economic Development Plan • Creating long term goals and strategies for business development • Develop a clear roadmap for businesses including streamlining and making it easier for them to establish and do business • Greater transparency from the City, including breaking down how tax dollars are spent and creating more opportunities to connect with elected officials • Create and host more public and community events • Establish a stronger and more concrete community identity, utilizing effective public relations • Attract top restaurants and chefs, but more dining in general (particularly fine dining) • Determine how office space opportunities could be used for retail advantage and how to fill vacant spaces • Support pop-up options for retail or art studios for vacant spaces • Utilize proximity to UC Berkeley and the new LBL facility in Richmond for business opportunities • Build a destination where the old Safeway is located where retail, community gardens, food trucks or 24-Hour Fitness might prosper • Develop a new library and improve public facilities Threats • Budget cuts and the lack of available funding from the State government • Insuring quality education is delivered in local schools via funding and politics • Negative impacts from the recession on the community and the City and its ability to maintain service levels and provide needed improvements and upgrades to public facilities • Climate change and natural disasters • The State’s budget cuts and lack of available funding, including the dissolution of Redevelopment Agencies • Unfunded mandates and liabilities including pensions for city workers • Animosity between businesses and the City • Fire threat or oil refinery accidents • Isolationism from not partnering/collaborating with other communities (Richmond, San Pablo, Berkeley) • Municipal budget restraints including a loss of revenues and tax increases 3 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 4 • Other cities recruiting talent away from El Cerrito • Neighboring cities and counties offering better and more programs and events for the public • Falling real estate prices and property values Desirable goals and priorities • Improve infrastructure including public facilities, utilities and public transportation (BART, trolley, bike and pedestrian paths) • Maintain high levels of public safety • Focus on economic development with a strong civic center • Stimulate local entertainment, shopping, and dining • Seek outside funding to support development projects • Business development, especially small business development • Establish a local identity • Provide more funding/resources for the library, schools, playgrounds, and public facilities • Increase the amount of open space and parks • Provide more opportunities for youth and family, especially daycare, skate parks, and after school programs Words that describe a vision for El Cerrito’s future • Pride • Family-friendly • Unique • Special • Destination • Sustainable • Smart • Energetic • Leader • Innovation • Wild • Affordable • Cool • Engaged • Community-driven • Accessible • Safe • Inclusive • Fun • Comfortable • Diverse • Eventful • Charming • Paid for • Beautiful • Inviting • Booming • Interesting • Creative • City Center • Vibrant • Walkable • Cooperation Phrases to express a vision for El Cerrito’s future • Easy access to open space (Bay Trail to Tilden) • Freedom of choices for living, working, transportation, schools, and programs • Engaged community • Beautified city trees • Happy people • Enthused, younger population • Transit-oriented areas developed • Diverse population • Sidewalks without cracks • Dynamic • Interactive, know and interact with neighbors 4 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 5 • Destination (attractions, street scapes/bike racks, place to gather/shop, hike trails, easy-to-use transit, theaters/party venues, restaurants) • Safe to walk around • Cars more slowly (not because of congestion) • Good schools and facilities • State of the art public facilities • High walk scores • Economically healthy • Intergenerational opportunities • Scholastically superior • Cutting-edge/risk-taking • Healthy destination • Good reputation Values in El Cerrito • Inclusion • Diversity • Sustainability (the 3 E’s – Economics, Environment, Equity) • Pragmatism • Functionality • Low key • Honesty • Transparency • Innovation • Dedication (employees, recognize quality work and people) • Efforts for the good of the whole • Positive interaction • Respect • Friendliness • Transit • Customer Service • Fiscal responsibility • State of the art / cutting edge Most Pressing Issues • Leadership training • Maintaining a balanced budget • Responsible transition from redevelopment and honor redevelopment commitments • Negative impacts of the economy on the community, city finances and state resources Most Pressing Issues in Five Years • Resources to maintain new facilities • Development/economic development • Relationship with State of California • Maintaining public safety • Improve traffic conditions and congestion • Sufficient and affordable housing options 5 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 6 II. Community Themes The community’s ideas about El Cerrito are summarized in the themes listed below. I love El Cerrito because… Amenities • Well-funded and accessible amenities • Cerrito Theater, El Cerrito Plaza • History walk on San Pablo Avenue • It has a lot of beautiful places to walk Ohlone Greenway, Hillside trail) • Has well cared for parks, dog parks, play structures • Great Recycling Center/program, which offers curbside recycling/compost • Community center offers well-rounded recreational program o Soccer and baseball clubs; baseball fields; swim center o Good schools, including elementary schools, the new high school, and EL Cerrito Preschool Cooperative (ECPC) • Wide variety of community events movie night) • Beautiful City Hall Location • Great weather, location and views of the Bay • Centrally located for diverse activities • Access to public transportation (BART), easy access to I-80, SF • Good selection of rental houses with more affordable rents than Berkeley/Albany Community • Diverse, creative, kid-friendly place with community events • Friendly, awesome people • Small town in urban setting • It’s not Berkeley • Peaceful, easy, calm, clean • Attractive neighborhoods • People have a “green attitude,” are open to building a sustainable community • Anyone who wants to can contribute, make things better, or change what they don’t like Government • Thoughtful city government, they seem to balance budget with improvements • El Cerrito continues to grow and improve with all our "Stakeholders" • Police and Fire Departments committed to creating a safe community (bicycle patrol) • Accessible city government; easy to talk to City departments • San Pablo Avenue improvements 6 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 7 El Cerrito is unique because… Amenities • There is a focus on a wide variety of amenities, services, community events • Excellent senior center and recreational program for kids and adults • Our own movie theatre and performing arts venues • Chung Mei Orphanage/Building, Beautiful, historic structure worth protecting • Library open every day • State of the art Recycle Center • Bike-friendly streets • Open spaces: Ohlone Trail, Canyon Trail Park, Hill-side Park Location • Quite, attractive, small city adjacent to a large city • It’s in a central location for recreation, transit, employment • It has two BART stations within 2 miles Community • El Cerrito is a clean, helpful, productive, creative, diverse community • People are free to have individual + unique opinions without having to agree with the current popular status quo • Small enough for real community, large enough for diversity • Environmental focus and environmental history • It shares its history • It's still small enough to feel safe, and people are kind • Great walkability • Foresighted commitment to environment • Variety of affordable homes Government • Well run city with good Police Department • Animal ordinance • City is small enough that officials listen to the community El Cerrito could improve upon… / I’d love to see… Amenities • New, better-equipped library • More parks and improvement park on Eureka for young families, add benches to Hillside trail • Maintaining quality of schools; need new middle school • More teenagers activities (ice skating, laser tag, indoor swimming, mini-golf, skate park) • Increased hours at swimming pool • More dedicated sports fields (soccer/baseball) • Bicycle lanes/paths 7 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 8 • More family events at Cerrito Theatre • Better restaurants and shopping (need children’s clothing store), more mom-and-pop stores • Car-sharing (Zipcars) Safety • Keep bushes and trees trimmed near crosswalks so drivers can see pedestrians • Safer high school transportation • City needs to be more pedestrian safe/friendly • Crime; there are lots of car burglaries Traffic/Roads • Improve traffic congestion on main thoroughfares and at the El Cerrito Plaza • Kearny (Wall to Conlon) and North end of Ohlone need better lighting • Fewer speed bumps and other obstacles to hinder drivers • A crossway at Richmond & Waldo Community • Enhance historic preservation efforts • Fewer empty, unattractive storefronts • More places to walk, gather, hang out, run into friends and neighbors Government • Commitment to funding for public schools Challenges facing the City Economic/Fiscal • Redevelopment of empty San Pablo Ave storefronts; attracting and retaining businesses to fill available/vacant real estate • Financial deficit/diminished funds with downturn in economy o Obtaining funding needed for projects, library, parks, infrastructure, other meaningful and important amenities Public Safety • So close to Richmond crime • Parking enforcement • Reducing the crime, homelessness, and loitering that is in our public areas, neighborhoods, and near the schools Amenities and infrastructure • Better restaurants and outdoor dining, and shopping • Bring in more entertainment options for teens and adults • Public building need renovations, including library, public safety building, senior center • Modernize community center • Maintain parks • Traffic • Sidewalks 8 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 9 Community • Shifting demographics • Preventing overcrowding and saying “no” to overdevelopment • How to keep families in El Cerrito after elementary school • Adding more trees on blocks that do not have them in front of homes • Preserving our historic resources, including periodical archives • Defining the city in a more creative way • Need a downtown/community centric focus • Maintaining or improving diversity of population • Attracting and keeping young people • Encouraging development/growth while maintaining history and a sense of “place” Government • There’s a lot of diversity, but it’s often not represented in public life • Budget • Underground(ing) utilities • Getting more people involved in community actions • BART modification and construction more thoroughly reviewed with community and user group feedback 9 ---PAGE BREAK--- 10 Words to Describe El Cerrito Right Now: ---PAGE BREAK--- 11 Words to Describe the Future Vision of El Cerrito: ---PAGE BREAK--- COMMUNITY VOICE SUMMARY “Community Voice” was launched in the Fall of 2012. It is an online tool on the City of El Cerrito’s website to share and discuss ideas you think are the most important for the City to focus on over the next five- year period. The following pages incorporate the input received via “Community Voice” through January 14, 2013. el cerrito needs a new library by nancy Poulos on 11/24/2012 our library serves a great many people and offers many events and opportunities for the community. it is, however, desperately in need of expansion and updating. new library systems and technology have increased use and opened libraries to many more people with diverse needs. bursting at the seams the e.c. library should be a primary item on the city's agenda Activity 7 “thumbs’ up” votes 3 comments 60 views Comments 1. Amalia Cunningham I agree 100%! Nov 30, 2012 7:15 PM 2. NikkiH Agreed - and I would put a priority on finding extra space not just for the books but for patrons. I rarely take my toddler to the library because I always feel I am disturbing everyone else. A dedicated children's room would certainly help. Nov 30, 2012 7:38 PM 3. Al Miller I agree, too, and I believe the new library is our most pressing need. But EC also needs a new Senior Center and Public Safety Building. The city needs to develop a plan and schedule showing how all our capitol needs will be identified and discussed with the people of El Cerrito to get an informed opinion of our priorities. We need to create an awareness in all city residents and property owners of the importance of replacing these facilities. Then we need to get the users and supporters of all three facilities working together to make it happen. If we fight each other, chances are nothing will happen. Dec 23, 2012 10:16 PM 12 ---PAGE BREAK--- Community Voice Summary – as of January 14, 2013 Getting citizens to mark up El Cerrito maps by Steve Price on 12/17/2012 The Community Voice effort is a great way of sounding out the community. I've learned a lot about El Cerrito's citizenry just by reviewing the input and comments so far. Another way to get citizen input would be to use a service like Crowdbrite that allows online marking up of maps. That brings in the other half of the brain and encourages location specific comments and dialog. Check out http://www.crowdbrite.com/. Activity 0 votes 0 comments 36 views 13 ---PAGE BREAK--- Community Voice Summary – as of January 14, 2013 Expedite completion of San Pablo plan and zoning by Mike Cunningham on 11/26/2012 San Pablo Ave has a wealth of vacant, underutilized, and blighted properties that, if appropriately developed, would provide much more tax revenue to the city, as well as improved businesses and aesthetics. With an eye towards a recovering economy, developers elsewhere are currently evaluating, optioning, and entitling projects to be built in a couple of years. But as long as the San Pablo Ave specific plan/rezoning process remains unresolved, property owner and developers are going to sit on their hands (or, rather, sit on their lands). By prioritizing completion of the San Pablo plan and associated zoning by mid-2013, El Cerrito will be positioned to engage interested property owners and developers, and to attract investment that will strengthen our community's economy and tax base while beautifying our main commercial district. Activity 5 “thumb’s up” votes 0 comments 41 views 14 ---PAGE BREAK--- Community Voice Summary – as of January 14, 2013 Economic development on BOTH sides of San Pablo Ave by Mike Cunningham on 11/29/2012 San Pablo Ave is our Main Street and our primary commercial district (and opportunity) but it's basically an afterthought to Richmond. El Cerrito can propose to Richmond that EC be responsible for economic development for ALL properties on San Pablo Ave, including those w/in Richmond's boundaries. Richmond must handle its own local review and permitting, but EC can be lead on working with property owners, developers, existing businesses, and new businesses to market the corridor, identify and develop prospects, and support existing businesses. To keep the effort affordable (and hence attractive) to Richmond, EC can be compensated for services with a modest retainer, plus performance payments that Richmond would pay based on actual outcomes. Activity 2 “thumb’s up” votes 0 comments 40 views 15 ---PAGE BREAK--- Community Voice Summary – as of January 14, 2013 Intense Restaurant Recruitment by Amalia Cunningham on 11/30/2012 As the resident survey confirmed, there is not too much diversity in the range of dining choices in EC. I would suggest that the city ED staff undertake an intensive restaurant recruitment. First, interview every single property owner with a suitable space on San Pablo. Quantify why they are not leasing to a restaurant. Next, depending on those results, get the city council to approve a incentives (such as streamlined permits), a loan program, sign grants, ADA assistance, whatever the issues are. Then go out and personally visit every restaurant of a type not already represented here on Solano Avenue (then Rockridge, downtown Alameda, Lafayette, etc. etc.) and encourage them to open a second location in El Cerrito at these specific "pre-approved" sites. A lot of legwork, but I think the residents will appreciate the results! Activity 4 “thumb’s up” votes 1 comments 44 views 1. NikkiH I definitely agree with this. El Cerrito is seriously lacking in restaurant options, from low to high end and everything in between. Although I do think one of the problems is that many of the restaurants which are here just don't *look* very appetizing. I quite like the Hawaiian place, but it took me a year to even step inside because it looks so dingy on the outside. (Inside, it's quite clean and well run.) Maybe some community effort to get restaurant owners to improve their "curb appeal" would also help? Nov 30, 2012 7:36 PM 16 ---PAGE BREAK--- Community Voice Summary – as of January 14, 2013 Establish and promote an "open for business" mentality and policies by Mike Cunningham on 12/2/2012 Even in the best of economic times El Cerrito will have economic development challenges, because we're a very small, low-profile town, on the remote outer edge of the dynamic North Oakland-Berkeley-Emeryville-Albany region, and part of the not-so-prosperous West Contra Costa County area. EC needs, therefore, to go the extra mile to establish and promote policies and an attitude that make this a great place to invest and do business, such as: 1. Adopt and implement the East Bay Economic Development Authority "Open For Business" pledge. http://bit.ly/QZ3Qs9 2. Implement a temporary (2 years) fee moratorium on any new business or development that occupies a spot that has been vacant for at least 18 months. The new tax revenue from these businesses will more than make up for the lost fee revenue. 3. Promote the policies (and El Cerrito itself, as an innovative biz dev leader) through earned media, biz dev conferences and magazines, etc. Activity 5 “thumb’s up” votes 0 comments 54 views 17 ---PAGE BREAK--- Community Voice Summary – as of January 14, 2013 Neighborhood Traffic Calming Nov 30, 2012 by Amalia Cunningham Scrap the new NTMP; it makes it harder for neighbors to work together on needed improvements; creates additional bureaucratic process; and wastes staff time (and residents'). Go back to old as-needed process with neighbors submitting a majority petition to start process. We have been waiting over a year and a half for improvements in our neighborhood - that cannot have been the intention! Activity 1 “Thumb’s up” vote 0 Comments 18 ---PAGE BREAK--- Community Voice Summary – as of January 14, 2013 More Hiking Trails at Hillside Nature Area by Ken & Molly Ong on 1/1/2013 Create more hiking trails at the Hillside Nature Area. Encourage more volunteers to work on improving the existing trails and build new ones with the City's help. Activity 0 votes 0 comments 19 views 19 ---PAGE BREAK--- Community Voice Summary – as of January 14, 2013 Engage El Cerrito parents Todd Groves Nov 24, 2012 Engage El Cerrito parents with school age children on their expectations from school. Create a dialogue between the city, residents and the school district around the discovered expectations. Activity 4 “thumb’s up” votes 3 comments 56 views docbeck Mr. Groves, I look forward to your representation on the school board-- I have a couple of questions--- What initial goals do you have in your first year? Also how do you wish to engage with parents of school age children? Nov 24, 2012 10:32 PM Todd Groves According to emeritus board members, the first two years of a good trustee are absorbed by becoming a good trustee. It's quite a learning curve. My primary concern is the adoption of the Common Core standards over the next two years, the figurative operating system of our schools. The board must shepherd a transition that leaves our students in a better position than they are presently. We also must push forward with the Middle School Math Initiative. I would hope also begin dialogue on the issues of concern collectively and by community. Engagement can take many forms. As a board member, I plan to maintain a public blog and use social media. Our board meets jointly with all city councils. As you can see by the results of EC's strategic planning process, schools are a high priority for EC's residents. The situation calls for collaboration and creativity between city and district. Nov 25, 2012 12:41 AM Karin Watson-Steier I also would add that you should engage El Cerrito parents with pre-school aged children as that is when many of us begin to think about the quality of education our children will receive, and whether we'll have to move in order to receive the high quality of education we envision for our children. Nov 28, 2012 2:27 PM 20 ---PAGE BREAK--- Community Voice Summary – as of January 14, 2013 Make El Cerrito public schools the FIRST choice of El Cerrito families Nov 26, 2012 by Mike Cunningham WCCUSD is providing wonderful school facilities, and EC provides wonderful after- care, but local schools still struggle to attract local families, esp after 6th grade. Though the city has no formal role in the schools, it can nonetheless provide support and exert influence to improve the schools and broaden their appeal. By establishing a formal city strategic priority to "Make El Cerrito public schools the FIRST choice of El Cerrito families," the city will be postioned to work with WCCUSD, local principals, PTAs, parents, students, and neighbors to develop an action plan of the things that are within the city's ability and authority. For example: - City Council discussion with a WCCUSD Board member about progress towards EC school goals - City/school/PTA partnership to pro-actively engage local parents at key decision points (before K, before 7th grade). - EC city parcel tax for class size reduction in EC schools. - More/better ideas would come from the community 5 “thumb’s up” votes 2 Comments 85 views 1. Christian Roman As the new Castro middle school becomes a reality, we need to engage with parents to find out exactly WHY they are opting for private school once their children reach 7th grade. Perhaps we need to improve the quality of ALL the elementary schools in El Cerrito to ensure that the students enter into 7th grade with more equal footing. Dec 13, 2012 9:45 AM 2. cgroch Rather than developing a specific set of ways to support our schools in a void, I suggest El Cerrito talk to WCCUSD to develop ideas concerning El Cerrito support and aid for their efforts to improve our schools. Jan 7, 2013 2:15 PM 21