ILG Summer Newsletter 😎

Monthly News from the

Institute for Local Government

June & July 2022

MESSAGE FROM ILG CEO & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Happy Summer, Friends of ILG!

It’s hard to believe we’ve already reached the end of June. Lots of exciting things are happening at ILG, just as they are at jurisdictions across the state.

This summer edition of our newsletter offers a short recap of what’s been keeping us busy. Our attention remains focused on navigating the complexity of a post-pandemic environment. We’re attending lots of meetings and events (like the recent CSDA GM Summit in Coronado); we’re hosting dozens of in-person trainings (like the free Planning Commissioners Trainings); we’re delivering virtual webinars and trainings on topics ranging from civility to emergency preparedness to apprenticeships to public engagement; we’re customizing in-person leadership workshops for jurisdictions statewide; and we’re working hard to stay true to our mission of helping local government leaders with the wide range of issues you face.

To do that, we’re growing our support team and I am excited to welcome Seth Yund to the ILG family as our newest Program Manager. Seth will work primarily on our Sustainability and Workforce projects but he has a passion for equity and engagement as well, so he’ll certainly have an opportunity to make his mark. Seth joins Taylor Buck as our newest team members, and we expect to announce one more full time staff addition in August.

Our growing team of staff and consultants stand ready to assist you and your agency. The below newsletter offers some highlights of our work, but please feel free to contact me to learn more about the ways ILG can partner with you and your jurisdiction. Together, we can do great things!

Sincerely,

Erica L. Manuel

info@ca-ilg.org

ILG attends the 2022 CSDA GM Summit in Coronado. L to R, Melissa Kuehne, Neil McCormick, Erica L. Manuel & Don Bartz.

ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS

LATEST NEWS

Welcome New Program Manager, Seth Yund

ILG welcomed another new team member in June, Seth Yund is a Program Manager who is committed to helping local governments promote human and environmental health through building sustainable and resilient communities. He has deep experience with a broad array of climate mitigation and adaptation-related policies and programs and has a passion for workforce development and advancing equity. Welcome, Seth!

South San Francisco Proudly Remains the Industrial City

BOOST City South San Francisco proudly remains the Industrial City, a reflection of its steel mill and ship building past, redefined to reflect the innovative, entrepreneurial and industrious spirit which has made South San Francisco the Biotech Capital of the World.

Thank You Beacon

Award Applicants!

Thank you to all the Beacon Program Participants who submitted applications for award consideration. We are currently reviewing the applications and will be sharing details about the award ceremony and presentation soon. For questions about the Beacon program contact Karalee Browne at kbrowne@ca-ilg.org.

UPCOMING WEBINARS & TRAININGS

SAVE THE DATE

Leading Local: Mastering the Art of Crucial Conversations Using CQ

Part 4 of the Cultural Intelligence

Training Series

Wednesday, July 27, 2022

10:00 am – 12:00 pm

Despite technological advances of our modern civilization, humans still struggle to maintain effective communication. In this fourth session of ILG’s Cultural Intelligence series, attendees will learn new skills to create greater connectivity and meaningful collaboration among team members. The training team will address and provide tools for how to effectively communicate with others by utilizing understanding and awareness, and how to navigate difficult, but crucial topics and conversations through the lens of emotional and cultural intelligence.

This interactive sessions is free to attend, but registration is required. Space is very limited and a waitlist will be created. Registration for this training will open soon. Save the date.

This series is hosted by ILG in partnership with The Impact Foundry.

Public Engagement Training for Local Government Leaders

TIERS: Think – Initiate – Engage – Review – Shift

Wednesday, August 3 & Thursday, August 4, 2022

10:00 am – 3:00 pm

Are you getting the results you want from your public engagement efforts?

Do you struggle with designing interactive public workshops?

Do you know what virtual tools are available to expedite and improve your public engagement?

Do you want to improve relationships with your community based organizations?

ILG is excited to offer an updated TIERS Public Engagement Training to reflect the continuously changing local government landscape. The TIERS training offers a step-by-step framework that helps California local government leaders master the public engagement process and build trust in their communities. TIERS will help you operationalize your outreach and engagement efforts in a more sustainable and collaborative way and provide you with resources and digital tools to authentically engage your community.

This comprehensive training is open to any local government leaders in California. The content is specially designed to apply to a variety of common local agency initiatives requiring public engagement, ranging from housing and climate change to budgeting and public safety. The training sessions will take place virtually over two days, with five hours of training on each day.

Registration for this comprehensive training is just $625,

significantly discounted from 2019 costs.

Learn more and register here.

TRAINING CONTENT INCLUDES:

Overviews of new digital engagement tools and platforms to get the public input you need.
Meeting design strategies for difficult meetings.
Ways to build relationships with community based organizations.
Tools for developing inclusive and equitable public engagement plans that fit your budget, timelines and public engagement goals.
How to reframe your public engagement messaging by focusing on community values and the benefits of engagement.
New strategies and tactics for reaching and involving traditionally under-engaged residents.
Designing engaging, fun and dialogue-focused public workshops.
Learning from other local governments about what worked in their communities.

Space is limited. Register by Friday, July 22 to secure your spot.

RECORDINGS NOW AVAILABLE

If you missed one of our webinars, consider downloading one of our recent sessions and watching on-demand. The webinar recordings, presentations and additional resources are available on our website and below.

Leading Local: Civility in Local Government – June 2, 2022

How Registered Apprenticeships Can Work in Your Local Agency – June 22, 2022

Personal and Organizational Wildfire Preparedness and Prevention – June 23, 2022

Leading Local: Managing Conflict Through the Lens of Equity – June 29, 2022

Access all ILG webinar recordings here.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Infill Infrastructure Grants Coming Soon

The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) just released the Infill Infrastructure Grant Program of 2019 Guidelines and a standalone Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for approximately $160 million.

The primary goal of the program is to promote infill housing development by providing financial assistance for Capital Improvement Projects (CIPs) that are an integral part of, or necessary to facilitate the development of, a Qualifying Infill Project (QIP) or a Qualifying Infill Area (QIA). Under the program, grants are available as gap funding for infrastructure improvements necessary for specific residential or mixed-use infill development projects or areas. The program is also a part of a Super NOFA, which streamlines the guidelines, application and release of several affordable housing funding resources.

Application materials, as well as information about NOFA workshops and/or webinars, will be available soon! To stay in the know, register for the HCD mailing list.

Youth Community Access Grant Program

The California Natural Resources Agency is now accepting proposals for the Youth Community Access Grant Program. This program aims to fund projects that support youth access to natural or cultural resources with a focus on low-income and disadvantaged communities. This includes community education and recreational amenities to support youth substance use prevention and early intervention. Approximately $18.3 million is available.

Applications are due by July 29, 2022 at 5:00 PM. Access the grant portal here or sign up for a technical assistance workshop here.

AFFILIATE NEWS

ILG is the non-profit training and education affiliate of Cal Cities, the California State Association of Counties and the California Special Districts Association.

CSDA Annual Conference and

Exhibitor Showcase

JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa

Monday, August 22 – Thursday, August 25, 2022

Join the California Special Districts Association (CSDA) for their Annual Conference and Exhibitor Showcase at the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa in Palm Desert, CA from August 22-25. This conference is designed for all special district leaders including veterans and new and emerging leaders.

For more information including schedule, keynotes, receptions, exhibitors and more, visit https://conference.csda.net/home.

Cal Cities Annual Conference and Expo

Long Beach Convention Center

Wednesday, September 7 – Friday, September 9, 2022

Registration is now open for the League of California Cities Annual Conference and Expo at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach. Last year’s annual conference drew more than 1,900 California city officials for three days of learning, inspiration, and sharing.

Scheduled for Sept. 7-9, the annual conference offers fresh ways for city officials to gain knowledge on the challenging issues facing cities and share perspectives with others in the field. Attendees can also visit the expo floor, which will be brimming with opportunities to engage with the companies and organizations that provide services to cities.

Visit https://www.calcities.org for more information.

CSAC Challenge Awardees Announced

Twenty-two counties have received awards from CSAC for the creation of innovative programs that address a range of issues from the pandemic to waste management technology and voter access.

A total of 52 programs were recognized this year. There were 433 total entries, which is the largest number of entries in the program’s history.

Learn more about the CSAC Challenge Awards and view all the award recipients here.

PARTNER PROGRAM UPDATES

Partner Feature: Richards, Watson & Gershon

Thank you to Richards, Watson & Gershon (RW&G) for their Platinum level partnership and longtime support of ILG! For over 60 years RW&G has been committed to excellence in the legal profession and solving the problems of business and the public sector with the highest quality legal services in a cost-effective manner. The firm provides practical advice and well-analyzed solutions to the most complex problems facing local government agencies including California’s cities counties and special districts.

Learn more.

EVENT: State of Public Engagement

The state of public engagement continues to evolve and change as community challenges associated with the events of the last 2+ years continue to be navigated. In 2020, public engagement went virtual and in 2021, hybrid public engagement started to gain momentum along with a return to in-person public engagement. ILG is proud to partner with the Davenport Institute for Public Engagement and Civic Leadership for an exclusive conversation on the state of public engagement- Back to the Future: Where Are We Post-Pandemic(ish)? Learn more and register.

ARTICLE: The Most Prevalent Local Government Website Platforms

For local government agencies, websites are the flagship communication piece hosting the most crucial information, documents and forms. Deciding on which website platform to use is a multi-year decision with tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars attached to it. Switching away from one platform to another can be an even bigger and more intricate decision. As of June 2022, here is a summary of which local government website platforms Tripepi Smith clients are using. Read more.

PARTNER WITH ILG!

ILG’s Partner Program provides a great opportunity to demonstrate your organization’s commitment to good governance at the local level, all while connecting with and engaging local decision-makers. Join us!

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