Merona® Mini Saddle Crossbody Handbag - Black
“The East Palo Alto Sanitary EAST PALO ALTO SANITARY District is one of the longest serving public agencies in the county consistently providing DISTRICT PUBLIC efficient, cost effective, and professional sewer and waste water management services to RELATIONS PLAN a district spanning two cities.”
“The District is the best kept (EPASDPREP) secret in two cities”
Elevating the image of the district through interpersonal communication, organizational media, news media, advertising and the implementation of a fats oil and grease expired prescription drug elimination programs.
1 | P a g e
2 | P a g e
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SUMMARY ...... 7 INTRODUCTION ...... 8 HISTORY: ...... 9 GOVERNANCE: ...... 9 TABLE 1: PROPERTY OWNERSHIP ...... 10
MEDIA PORTRAYAL OF THE EAST PALO ALTO SANITARY DISTRICT ...... 11 TABLE 2: TYPES OF DISTRICT NEWS IN THE PRINT MEDIA 1994-2013 ...... 12 TABLE 4: SOURCE OF MEDIA MATERIAL ABOUT EAST PALO ALTO SANITARY DISTRICT -1994-2013 ...... 13 TABLE 5: LOCAL PRINT MEDIA COVERAGE OF THE DISTRICT 1994-2013 ...... 13 CHART 1: Articles and Ads in local publications over the 1994-2013 period...... 14 TABLE 6: Number of Articles printed about district by publications 1994-2013 ...... 15
PERCEPTIONS OF THE EAST PALO ALTO SANITARY DISTRICT ...... 16 TABLE 7-PERCEPTIONS OF THE DISTRICT...... 16
ORGANIZATIONAL PERSPECTIVES REGARDING PUBLIC RELATIONS ...... 17 CHART 2- PUBLICATION AND LEGAL NOTICE-EXPENSES-2004-2012 ...... 18 CHART 3=PUBLICATION AND LEGAL NOTICE EXPENSES AS A % OF TOTAL BUDGET 2004-2012 ...... 18 TABLE 8 ORGANIZATIONAL PERCEPTIONS OF PERSONNELL RESOURCES FOR PUBLIC RELATIONS ...... 19 TABLE 9-MONEY RESOURCES FOR PUBLIC RELATIONS ...... 19 TABLE 10 -OTHER RESOURCES FOR PUBLIC RELATIONS ...... 20 TABLE 11 -RESOURCE FOR PUBLIC RELATIONS INCREASE IN NEXT THREE YRS ...... 20 TABLE 12 -STRENGTH OF PUBLIC RELATIONS PERSPECTIVES IN ORGANIZATIONAL DECISION .MAKING ...... 20 TABLE 13-SUPPORTIVE INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT FOR PUBLIC RELATIONS ...... 21
3 | P a g e
ORGANIZATIONAL VISION AND GOALS...... 21 TABLE 14: THE SANITARY DISTRICT'S MOST RECENT GOALS ...... 22 TABLE 15: IDEAL GOALS FOR THE DISTRICT ...... 23
PUBLIC RELATIONS OBJECTIVES ...... 23 TABLE 16 PUBLIC RELATIONS OBJECTIVES, GOALS AND ACTIONS ...... 25
PUBLIC RELATIONS MESSAGE ...... 26 PUBLICS OR TARGETED AUDIENCES ...... 26 TABLE 17: EAST PALO ALTO SANITARY DISTRICT EXTERNAL, INTERNAL AND OTHER PUBLICS ...... 29
KEY PUBLICS ...... 30 TABLE 18-ETHNICITY OR RACE BY CITY ...... 31 TABLE 18 AGE BY CITY ...... 32 TABLE 20-GENDER ...... 32 TABLE 22-INCOME BY CITY ...... 33 TABLE 23-EDUCATIONAL LEVELS OF PERSONS OVER 25 YEARS BY CITY ...... 33 Figure 51 MEDIA PREFERENCES WITHIN THE DISTRICT ...... 34 Figure 57 NEWSPAPER PREFERENCES ...... 34 TABLE 24 Newspaper Readership Comparison by City ...... 35
STRATEGY ...... 36 Interpersonal communication ...... 36 Organizational media ...... 36 News Media and Advertising: ...... 37 TABLE 25: Survey of media (journalists) habits in the wired world -2000 ...... 38 NEW PROGRAMS: ...... 39 PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION ...... 39 LIMITS OF THE PLAN- ...... 42 TABLE 26: STRATEGIES AND FREQUENCY EXAMPLES OF ASSOCIATATED ACTIVITIES ...... 44
4 | P a g e
TABLE 27: STRATEGIES AND FREQUENCY OF ASSOCIATATED ACTIVITIES-NEWS MEDIA AND ADVERTISING ...... 45 TABLE 28: STRATEGIES AND FREQUENCY OF ASSOCIATATED ACTIVITIES-PROGRAMMATIC ...... 46
BUDGET ...... 47 TABLE 29-CONTRACTED PUBLIC RELATIONS STAFF ...... 48
PERSONNELL ...... 49 TABLE 29: Public Relations Plan Implementing Team ...... 49
EVALUATION ...... 51 TABLE 30- EVALUATION OF INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION TACTICS IN TERMS Of AWARENESS, ACCEPTANCE AND ACTION ...... 53 TABLE 31- EVALUATION OF ORGANIZATIONAL MEDIA TACTICS IN TERMS Of AWARENESS, ACCEPTANCE AND ACTION ...... 53 TABLE 32- EVALUATION OF NEWS MEDIA TACTICS IN TERMS Of AWARENESS, ACCEPTANCE AND ACTION ...... 54 TABLE 33- EVALUATION OF PROGRAMMATIC TACTICS IN TERMS Of AWARENESS, ACCEPTANCE AND ACTION ...... 55 TABLE 34: QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE EVALUATIONOF THE AWARENESS OBJECTIVES OF EPASDPReP...... 55 TABLE 35 QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE EVALUATIONOF THE ACCEPTANCE OBJECTIVES OF EPASDPReP...... 56 TABLE 36: QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE EVALUATIONOF THE ACTION OBJECTIVES OF EPASDPReP...... 56
CONCLUSION ...... 57 APPENDICES ...... 58 APPENDIX 1- BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND SUB-COMMITTEES ...... 59 APPENDIX 2: EAST PALO ALTO SANITARY DISTRICT ORGANIZATIONAL CHART ...... 60 East Palo Alto Sanitary District Public Relations Plan-Budget ...... 61 APPENDIX:-4 OCCUPATIONAL EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES –MAY 2012-PUBLIC RELATIONS SPECIALISTS ...... 65 (a) National estimates for Public Relations Specialists: -Employment estimate and mean wage estimates: ...... 65 (b) Percentile wage estimates for Public Relations Specialists: ...... 65 (c) Industry profile for Public Relations Specialists: Industries with the highest levels of employment: ...... 65 (d) Industries with the highest concentration of employment of Public Relations Specialists: ...... 65 (e) Top paying industries for Public Relations Specialists: ...... 66 (f) Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients for Public Relations Specialists: ...... 66 APPENDIX 5-EPASDPReP TIME TABLE Outline ...... 67 APPENDIX 6-NEWSPAPERS-MAGAZINES EDITORIAL ...... 68 APPENDIX-7-NEWSPAPERS-MAGAZINES ADVERTISING ...... 68
5 | P a g e
APPENDIX 8-NEWSPAPER ADVERTISING RATES ...... 69 APPENDIX-9 FREE MEDIA RESOURCES (Not a complete list) ...... 69 APPENDIX-10-OTHER MEDIA ...... 70 APPENDIX 11-FM RADIO STATIONS ...... 71 APPENDIX 12-AM RADIO STATIONS ...... 72 APPENDIX 13-TV STATIONS ...... 73 APPENDIX-14-ORGANIZATIONS OF INTEREST ...... 73 APPENDIX 15-PUBLISHED NEWS ARTICLES ON THE DISTRICT BY PAPER AND NEWS TYPE 1994-2013 ...... 74 APPENDIX:-16-COMMUNITY EVENTS ...... 76 APPENDIX:-17 -EVALUATING AND SELECTING A SPOKESPERSON ...... 78 APPENDIX:-18- DETERMINING MESSAGE APPEALS ...... 79 APPENDIX:-19 EAST PALO ALTO SANITARY DISTRICT VISION, MISSION, CORE VALUES AND NORMS ...... 79 APPENDIX 20-Sources for graphics, schedules, facts or statistics ...... 80 APPENDIX 21 -POST PLAN SURVEY OF SERVICE USERS ...... 81 APPENDIX 22-East Palo Alto Sanitary District 2012 Survey ...... 85
6 | P a g e
SUMMARY
On November 1st 2012 the East Palo Alto Sanitary District board authorized a contract with Jatelo Productions for the development of a public relations plan for the district. The development of the plan included the conducting of a district wide survey to determine the current perception of the district by service users. The survey also sought to identify the media habits of district service beneficiaries that may help the district in its efforts to communicate with them. The East Palo Alto Sanitary District Public Relations Plan [EPPASD-PReP] is such a plan.
The East Palo Alto Sanitary District Public Relations Plan (EPASDPREP) is a strategic response to several known facts; the negative portrayal of the district by the local media, and even more importantly the relative lack of knowledge about the district by beneficiaries of its services. The plan’s mission is to elevate the knowledge that several publics (residents, business owners and operators, property owners, local agencies, both public and private), have of the Sanitary District and to ensure that the perspectives are positive. The plan addresses a perceived problem of lack of knowledge about the district, confusion as to what the district is and does and to some extent the negative view that some may have of the district.
The plan utilizes strategies encompassing, interpersonal communication such as creating district sponsored events at which the public, the media etc. are invited, organizational media, including newsletters, brochures and a revamped website; news media, entailing the deliberate cultivation of relations with the media to ensure coverage of district activities; advertising media consisting of selective use of purchased advertising to convey the desired image of the district; Of greatest importance, however, is the development of specific programs relating to the district’s mandate that would not only attract general media as well as public interest but would, in the long term, actually save the district money. Programs would include such initiatives as those that would promote the appropriate disposal of Fats Oils and Grease (FOG) and expired-prescription-drugs.
The duration of the plan would depend on the strategy adopted. Aspects of the interpersonal, organizational, media and advertising would be implemented over the twelve month period from July 1 2013 to June 30, 2014 or any other period agreed upon by the District Board of Directors. The programmatic strategy may take a while to develop and consequently its implementation may be further down the road.
EPASDPREP also suggests that the district consider changing its name for the simple reason that there are residents and property owners residing within the boundaries of the City of East Palo Alto who are not within the district as well as well as others in the district who are not located within the boundaries of the City of East Palo Alto.
7 | P a g e
INTRODUCTION
The East Palo Alto Sanitary District is a Special District responsible for maintaining the sanitary sewers system in the City of East Palo Alto, a portion of the City of Menlo Park, and an associated area in Southeastern San Mateo County. It is a "legally constituted governmental entity, which is neither a city nor a county, established for the purpose of carrying on specific activities within...defined boundaries." 1 Special districts have many of the same powers as counties, cities, towns, but are often defined by their functional characteristics.
Although the district bears the name “East Palo Alto”, its boundaries do not conform to the boundaries of the City of East Palo Alto. In addition to stretching into a portion of Menlo Park, the district does not include significant areas of the City of East Palo Alto, notably areas north of Bay road and North West of Menalto.
The district manages a collection system consisting of 30 miles of pipes that carries wastewater from the District's service area to the Palo Alto Water Treatment Plant, where it is treated and disposed of. It is one of two sanitary districts serving the community of East Palo Alto.
The district serves 3315 single residential, 3442 multi-residential and 268 non-residential facilities. The non-residential facilities includes: hotels, schools, churches, offices, commercial facilities, medical facilities, restaurants, industrial facilities, recreational facilities, and retirement /board and care homes.
As a district, the agency is relatively unknown by the public it servers as well as by other public and non-public agencies. Stories abound about residents wishing to run for office finding out that although living in East Palo Alto, they were not part of the district; or other governmental entities assuming that sewer management was part of the City of East Palo Alto’s operations.; or East Palo Alto residents having a sewer problem calling the district only to find out they are part of the other district serving portions of the city.
1 Special District Definition Source: Self Government by District, Robert B. Hawkins, Jr.
8 | P a g e
HISTORY:
On December 12 1925 residents of the then area known as East Palo Alto informally voted to name the area bounded by Menalto, Bay Road and the San Francisquito Creek East Palo Alto.
Earlier on May 28 of the same year, residents of North Palo Alto, voted to establish the North Palo Alto Sanitary District. Later that year, they approved the issuance of $18,000 in bonds for the construction of a sewer system. North Palo Alto was then bounded by Woodland- Middlefield to Pope Street bridge; Menalto Avenue From Pope Street Bridge to Bay Road; Bay Road-From Menalto to Willow Road and Willow Road from Bay to Middlefield
The North Palo Alto Sanitary District was however eventually annexed to the Menlo Park Sanitary District which subsequently became the Westbay Sanitary District. This district was to annex over time other areas of East Palo Alto North of Bay Road including the University Village, the Kavanaugh areas.
The East Palo Alto Sanitary District is one of the oldest governmental institutions in San Mateo County. On August 22, 1939, residents voted 399 to 58 to organize a Sanitary District. That same year in October, residents voted on a proposal to issue $75,000 in general obligation bonds to finance installation of a sewage disposal system.
The initial sewer lines, however, were installed as a Works Project Administration project. Construction began after the treatment contract with the City of Palo Alto was signed in 1940, and District facilities were put into operation on September 8, 1942.
GOVERNANCE:
There are 6359 voters in the district who elect a five member board of directors responsible for the operation of the district. The majority of properties served by the district’s sewer system are owned by person living in the district (61%); however a fairly significant percentage (39%) is owned by individuals or organizations outside of the district.
9 | P a g e
PERCENTAGE TABLE 1: PROPERTY OWNERSHIP
INDIVIDUALS OR ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN THE DISTRICT 61% INDIVIDUALS OR ORGANIZATIONS OUTSIDE OF THE DISTRICT 39%
TOTAL 100%
The Board establishes the operating policies of the District; The Board currently consists of: Ms. Joan Sykes-Miessi, Mr. Goro Mitchell, Ms. Glenda Savage-Johnson, Mr. Dennis Scherzer, and Ms. Betsy Yanez.
The day to day operations of the district are run by a General Manager who oversees eight employees spread across two divisions, administrative and maintenance. The district contracts out engineering, legal and accounting functions. The General Manager is responsible for the administration of all District business.
The district is one of the oldest public institutions in the city predating even the city itself. Its existence has been the subject of a lot of controversy including attempts to get voters to dissolve it and merge it into the City of East Palo Alto. In 1981 the Local Agency Formation Commission2 in approving the incorporation of the community known as East Palo Alto included in its vote the formal dissolution of the district and its merger into the new City of East Palo Alto. Voters in the district however in 1982, voted down proposition C, the incorporation measure that called for the dissolution of the district
The issue of its dissolution has however not gone away. In a Municipal Service Review by LAFCo of the neighboring Westbay Sanitary District, in 2009 it was suggested that an alternative that “could offer savings in the governance and management… would be the dissolution of the East Palo Alto Sanitary District and its annexation to the West Bay Sanitary district. Suggestions have also been regularly made regarding the dissolution of the district and its merger into the City of East Palo Alto as a department or a division of an existing department.
The district however remains an independent special district; its name, however, continues to be closely associated with the City of East Palo Alto with its boundaries conforming to the boundaries established informally in 1925 as to the area to be called East Palo Alto
2 The local agency formation commission is a state-mandated, independent commission with countywide jurisdiction over the boundaries and organization of cities and special districts including, incorporations, annexations, detachments, formations consolidations and dissolutions. LAFCo periodically issue “Sphere of Influence reports for all existing jurisdictions within a country. The reports reaffirm existing boundaries and may suggest some changes.
10 | P a g e
MEDIA PORTRAYAL OF THE EAST PALO ALTO SANITARY DISTRICT
East Palo Alto has not had a regularly produced media vehicle covering its affairs exclusively. The Ravenswood Post, a newspaper, which stopped publication in the seventies, was the closest r regularly produced media organ that covered the area known as East Palo Alto. Other news publications have been published over the years, including the East Palo Alto Progress, Citi View and the East Palo Alto Post.
Coverage of events and news in East Palo Alto has however, usually been done by regularly published newspapers located in neighboring communities. This has included the Palo Alto Times, The Palo Alto Weekly, the Palo Post and the Palo Alto Daily. In addition regional newspapers such as the San Jose Mercury and the San Francisco Chronicle have covered events in East Palo Alto.
The only newspaper currently being published in East Palo Alto is the East Palo Alto Today newspaper a newspaper that publishes upwards of six to eight issues a year. The paper has an online version that provides more up to date news of happenings in the city.
The San Jose Mercury, the Palo Alto Daily News and the San Francisco Chronicle however remain the three top read papers by residents living and or working within the district. (Jatelo Production Survey 2012)
In addition, East Palo Alto stories can be found on internet based news organizations as the Palo Alto and Menlo Park ‘Patch”.
A review (Productions, 2012) of the top four papers3 read by ratepayers for articles on the East Palo Alto Sanitary District revealed that over almost a twenty year span, there were only 60 articles/advertising pieces/letters to the Editor published in newspapers/magazines in the period 1994 to 2013.
The majority of the articles’ titles, 62% were articles concerning the district board or board members either running for election, being elected to the board, being arrested, extradited, convicted, censured, sued , prohibited from voting on specific items, firing staff, The articles collectively portrayed a district that is populated at the policy level with a board that is contentious,; with board members of suspect moral character,; that is spendthrift expending public funds on themselves particularly on lavish trips and catered meetings,
3 East Palo Alto Sanitary District 2012 Survey-Jatelo Productions- revealed that the most read newspapers by residents and businesses in the district were (by popularity) the San Jose Mercury, the Palo Alto Daily, the San Francisco Chronicle and the East Palo Alto Today.
11 | P a g e
TABLE 2: TYPES OF DISTRICT NEWS IN THE PRINT MEDIA 1994-2013 Number of Articles Percentage Board 37 62% Advertisements 11 18% District 7 12% Service 5 8% TOTAL 60 100%
Advertisements ranked second, accounting for 18% of media material over this period. This category includes advertisements regarding the proposed annual district budget and personnel recruitment ads, It also includes ads taken by the Palo Alto Water Treatment Center encouraging district residents against flushing expired prescription drugs and cooking fat and oil into the sewer system.
News about other aspects of the district comes in a distant third at 10%. Articles in this category include description of the district in the East Palo Alto Information magazine; article in the East Palo Alto Today about the retirement of a key staff person from the district etc.
The majority of the article titles (47%) portrayed the district negatively. These included headlines such as “Former District Board member surrenders to the FBI-extradition from Tennessee” published in the Palo Alto Weekly on 2/16/1994. Positive article titles accounted for only 12%. This included “Dispute over hotel sewer fee settled unanimously” published on 6/22/2004 in the Palo Alto Weekly.
TABLE 3: NATURE OF PORTRAYAL OF THE EAST PALO ALTO SANITARY DISTRICT BY MEDIA 1994-2013 Number of Articles Percentage Negative 28 47% Neutral 25 42% Positive 7 12% TOTAL 60 100%
The preponderance of the published articles were media generated (75%) i.e. newspaper reporters generated the stories themselves. District generated stories over the period accounted for 22% most of these articles were generated in the last year. The “other” consisted of advertisements taken in the East Palo Alto Today by the Palo Alto Water Treatment Center encouraging residents in the district to appropriately dispose of Fats Oil and Grease as well as expired prescription drugs.
The district would have no control as to how the media portrays it. As noted above, most coverage by the media was generated by the media itself and the published stories met, one could argue, the media’s rather than the district’s needs. That being said, the media’s power at
12 | P a g e influencing public opinion should not be ignored and any efforts that can be made to influence the media’s portrayal of the district should be taken advantage of.
TABLE 4: SOURCE OF MEDIA MATERIAL ABOUT EAST PALO ALTO SANITARY DISTRICT -1994-2013 Number of Articles Percentage Media 45 75% District 13 22% Other 2 3% TOTAL 60 100%
Palo Alto Weekly had the most articles printed regarding the district during the period under consideration (1994-2013). Of the 60 articles and advertisements published during this period 31 of them were published in the Palo Alto Weekly. East Palo Alto Today came second having published 12 articles and printed ads. San Francisco Chronicle and the San Jose Mercury came third and fourth respectively.
TABLE 5: LOCAL PRINT MEDIA COVERAGE OF THE DISTRICT 1994-2013 Number of Articles Percentage Palo Alto Weekly 31 51% East Palo Alto Today 12 20% San Francisco 7 12 Chronicle San Jose Mercury 5 8% East Palo Alto 3 5% Information Palo Alto Daily 2 3% TOTAL 60 100%
The district averaged less than THREE (median of 1) articles a year in local publications in the last twenty years. Spikes in coverage in 1999 and 2002 still had less than 10 articles or ads a year. The year 2012, had the most number of articles and advertisements published. A total of 19 were published in local papers. Most were published in the local East Palo Alto Today newspaper.
13 | P a g e
CHART 1: Articles and Ads in local publications over the 1994-2013 period. Articles and Ads in all local publications
20 15 10 5 Articles and Ads in all local publications 0
Articles and Ads in all local publications
14 | P a g e
TABLE 6: Number of Articles printed about district by publications 1994-2013 YEAR Palo Alto San Jose Palo Alto East Palo San Francisco East Palo Alto TOTAL % Weekly Mercury Daily Alto Today Chronicle Information 1994 5 0 0 0 0 0 5 8% 1995 2 0 0 0 3 0 5 8% 1996 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 5% 1997 0 0 0 0 0 0 0% 1998 3 0 0 0 1 0 4 7% 1999 9 0 0 0 0 0 9 15% 2000 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 3% 2001 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 2% 2002 2 0 0 0 3 0 5 8% 2003 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 2% 2004 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 2% 2005 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0% 2006 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 2% 2007 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 2% 2008 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0% 2009 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0% 2010 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0% 2011 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 2% 2012 0 3 2 11 0 3 19 32% 2013 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 3%
TOTAL 31 5 2 12 7 3 60 100% % 52% 8% 3% 20% 12% 5% 100%
15 | P a g e
PERCEPTIONS OF THE EAST PALO ALTO SANITARY DISTRICT
A recent survey commissioned by the East Palo Alto Sanitary District of the residents and business owners living and operating within the district boundaries came to the following conclusions:
Most (64%) service users in the district do not know the district or what it does4 Overall, less than 50% (45%) think they know the district and what it does Less than 30% of the residential customers know what the district is and does. The majority (75%) of commercial customers know the district and its functions Of those familiar with the district approximately 65% are satisfied or very satisfied with services provided by the district.
TABLE 7-PERCEPTIONS OF THE DISTRICT Service users who know the district 36% Service users who think they know the district but really do not 45% Residential services users who know the district and what it does 30% Commercial service users who know the district 75% Service users (who know the district) satisfied with the district’s work 65%
Anecdotal unsolicited remarks by respondents to the survey included the following statements:5
The gutters flood every time it rains – Bay Road Business Owner The district does not have accurate maps of where its pipes are located – Institutional Bay Road recent service recipient Rates are too high, the Sanitary District spends too much on frivolous trips for staff and board – O’Keefe residential owner Pay more attention to Poplar – residential renter on Poplar Communicate in Spanish – residential renters on Ralmar and Newell District should clean laterals, they no longer do – residential owner on Beech Not responsive to complaints – Residential Owner on Abelia Spend too much money on perks – Residential owner on Menalto Rates higher than other districts, pay directors too much – Residential owner on Menalto
4 2012 East Palo Alto Sanitary District Survey, Jatelo Productions 5 East Palo Alto Sanitary District 2012 Survey-Jatelo Productions
16 | P a g e
Doesn’t want info from EPASD – Residential owner on O’Keefe Need better mapping of system and to provide set back info to owners – Residential owners on Green
There is no evidence that the district service users share in some or any of these opinions, but the opinions in and of themselves may be of interest to the district, particularly given the fact that some of them mirror recent articles published in the local media.
ORGANIZATIONAL PERSPECTIVES REGARDING PUBLIC RELATIONS
The East Palo Alto Sanitary District is managed by a five member elected board of directors. The board governs through several committees each comprised of two directors: Finance and Audit, (Miessi and Mitchell) Engineering and Operations, (Savage and Scherzer) Human Resources Management (Sykes-Miessi and Yanez); Organization, Public Information & Intergovernmental Affairs Yanez and Scherzer) and Facilities and Grounds (Savage and Mitchell).
The day to day administrative functions are exercised by a General Manager. The District has a staff of 11 including the General Manager. The staff consists of: (See the East Palo Alto District Organization Chart-Appendix 2) a mix of regular and contractual employees including an Office Manager, an Accounting Assistant, an Administrative Assistant/Receptionist; a Collection System Maintenance Supervisor, a Senior Collection System Maintenance Worker, three Collections System Maintenance Workers, a Records Clerk, and an accountant. In addition the district has bone fide contractors serving engineering, legal, Information Technology Support, transcription and website management services.
Amongst the staff of the district, no one has specifically been assigned the task of public relations. An analysis of the district’s budget, both past and present, shows that the Sanitary District does not include a line item for Publicity, Public Relations or Advertising. The closest indicator that these services are being provided at all is the existence of a ‘Publication and Legal Notices’ line item. The district accountant confirmed that the district charges such like expenses to this line item. From 2004-2012 the district spent an average of $9,102 annually in publishing notices in various local publications. This constituted less than 1% annually of the district’s total budget.
During this period, however, the District incurred other “public relations-type” expenses such as costs associated with celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2009; the leasing of part of its building space to a local non-profit; contributing to local non-profit fundraising events by purchasing seats at tables (One East Palo Alto and the East Palo Alto Senior Center); participating in the citywide summer youth employment program by hiring youth. These expenses however, given the current budget framework are not as easily tracked and most likely are not identified as ‘public relations’ expenditures. The plan would strongly recommend that a line item be created to track public relations related expenses incurred by the district.
17 | P a g e
CHART 2- PUBLICATION AND LEGAL NOTICE-EXPENSES-2004-2012 Publication & Legal Notice-Expenses 16,000 14,000 12,000 10,000 8,000 6,000 4,000 Publication & Legal Notice-Expenses 2,000 -
CHART 3=PUBLICATION AND LEGAL NOTICE EXPENSES AS A % OF TOTAL BUDGET 2004-2012 Publication & Legal Notice-Expenses % of Total Budget 0.60% 0.50% 0.40% 0.30% Publication & Legal Notice-Expenses % of Total 0.20% Budget 0.10% 0.00% 2004-2005 2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012
18 | P a g e
An internal survey, was conducted, to find out internal (board and staff) perceptions of 1. resources (personnel, financial and other) available for public relations activities; 2. what the trend is in the next three years vis a vis increase or decrease of those resources; 3. the strength of public relations in decision making in the organization and 4. how supportive the internal environment is for public relations activities
The survey revealed the following; 73% of respondents either provided no answer or were non responsive6 to the question as to what personnel resources were available within the district for public relations purposes. 7% indicated that there were no personnel resources assigned for this purpose; another 7% felt there were resources assigned for this purpose; and yet another 7% did not know whether resources were assigned or not. Resources assigned for this task should be clearly defined and understood by the staff and the board of directors. % TABLE 8 ORGANIZATIONAL PERCEPTIONS OF PERSONNELL RESOURCES FOR PUBLIC RELATIONS None 7% Yes 7% Don't Know 7% Non responsive 20% No answer 53%
80% of the respondents similarly did not respond or were non responsive to a similar questions regarding financial resources dedicated to public relations activities. A total of 14% of respondents either did not know or affirmatively indicated that no resources were allocated for PR. % TABLE 9-MONEY RESOURCES FOR PUBLIC RELATIONS None 7% Don't Know 7% Non responsive 20% No answer 60%
6 Non responsive answers were answers that were considered irrelevant to the question asked.
19 | P a g e
80% provided no answer or were also non responsive to identifying other resources that the district has deployed for public relations activities. Others, 7% respectively identified the “internet”, ‘public notices”, “board meetings” or “did not know. % TABLE 10 -OTHER RESOURCES FOR PUBLIC RELATIONS Internet 7% Public Notice 7% Board meetings 7% Don't Know 7% Non responsive 20% No answer 60% 47% anticipated that the resources for public relations would increase in the next three years; 33% felt it would remain unchanged; 13% provided no answer and 7% adamantly saw a decrease. % TABLE 11 -RESOURCE FOR PUBLIC RELATIONS INCREASE IN NEXT THREE YRS Decrease 7% No answer 13% Remain unchanged 33% Increase 47% 46% of the respondents felt that public relations considerations were strong to very strong in the district’s decision making processes. 33% felt that such considerations were not strong. 13% of the respondents did not have a clue. % TABLE 12 -STRENGTH OF PUBLIC RELATIONS PERSPECTIVES IN ORGANIZATIONAL DECISION .MAKING No answer 7% Very Strong 13% Don't Know 13% Strong 33% Not Strong 33%
20 | P a g e
On the question as to how supportive the internal environment was for public relations activities, 40% did not know, 33% felt the environment was supportive, and 20% felt the environment was not supportive.
% TABLE 13-SUPPORTIVE INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT FOR PUBLIC RELATIONS No answer 7% Not Supportive 20% Supportive 33% Don’t Know 40%
Most individuals in the district did not view themselves as public relations resources for the district and not surprisingly did not respond to the three questions in the survey addressing the issue of district resources dedicated to public relations. Most did not know how supportive or non-supportive the district’s internal environment was for public relations activities; Ironically 46% felt that public relations perspectives were reflected strongly in organizational decision-making; Most felt that public relations resources would increase in the next three years;
ORGANIZATIONAL VISION AND GOALS
The district’s vision is to be “recognized as an example of good government, public service and innovative leadership in the sanitary sewer services industry.” To realize this vision, the district has set out as its mission the goal of .providing “safe, efficient and cost- effective sanitary sewer services to portions of East Palo Alto and Menlo Park”. This vision and mission has however not been translated into specific annual goals that inform and indeed justifies the district annual budget.
To understand the organization’s goals, therefore, an internal survey of both the staff and the board was conducted. Two questions were asked, one, what were the district’s current goals, and two, what, from an ideal perspective should the district’s goals be? ’ The survey identified the top four recent goals of the district as follows:
1. The improvement of organizational efficiency. Included in this category were responses such as the updating of the master-plan, the development of a 5 year Financial Plan, the adoption of a Capital Improvements Program budget, clean lines, no stoppages, no service calls, financial soundness and stability, operating more efficiently, organizing all engineering data. 2. Enhancement of Customer Relations. This included responses such as ‘Customer satisfaction/informed customers, improvement of customer service, developing a Lateral Replacement Plan, developing public relations to improve district’s image
21 | P a g e
3. Improvement of staff dynamics and the acquisition of new and appropriate technology. This included responses around improving staff relations, enhancing staff morale, Hiring a new General Manager and providing staff with appropriate training 4. Improvement of the relationship with external agencies. Under this category, responses included changing relationship with the City of Palo Alto regarding presumably the Water treatment Plant and working with the City of East Palo Alto to develop joint programs and staying up to date with all regulatory requirements.
It should be noted that 40% of the respondents in the survey, either did not respond or provided answers that would be considered as non- responsive. This could mean one of several things, either they believed that the district did not or has not outlined specific goals, or should the district have established annual goals, they did not know what they were.
TABLE 14: THE SANITARY DISTRICT'S MOST RECENT GOALS Percentage 1. Improve Organizational efficiency 13 35% 2 Customer Satisfaction/Relations 7 19% No answer/non responsive 6 16% 3 Improve Staff dynamics 4 11% 3 Acquire appropriate technology/Capital improvement 4 11% 4 External agency relationship 3 8% TOTAL 37 100%
22 | P a g e
Percentage TABLE 15: IDEAL GOALS FOR THE DISTRICT Improve organizational efficiency 15 35% Improve staff dynamics 8 19% Customer satisfactions/Relationships 7 16% Relationship with external agencies 5 12% No answer/not responsive 4 9% Terminate some district contracts 2 5% Acquire appropriate technology 1 2% Prosecute people that have committed fraud against the district 1 2% TOTAL 43 100%
In terms of ideal goals for the district, (Table 15) improvement of organizational efficiency of the district remained the most important goal with 35 percent of the goals being broadly definable as organization efficiency goals. Improvement of staff dynamics as a broad goal came in second with 19% of the responses falling generally under this category. Customer satisfaction came in third with 16% of the goals broadly falling under this category.
PUBLIC RELATIONS OBJECTIVES The surveys conducted as part of the development of this plan as well as the review of critical district documents, revealed several facts: relevant to the development and the implementation of a public relations plan. One, critical publics ( ratepayers/residents) are not as aware of the district and what it does as to enhance the vision of the district; two, those that may be aware, may have negative perceptions of the district, particularly given the nature of media coverage in the last two decades; three, and probably as a result of that, this public cannot therefore “accept” the district as “the safe, efficient and cost-effective provider of sanitary sewer services; four, it would be highly unlikely that they (service users) would engage in activities (take action) that would enhance the efficient and cost effective delivery of sewer services by the district, and five, the district’s vision is outward looking focusing rather on the “sanitary sewer industry” instead of service users as well as other definable publics.
23 | P a g e
Given these observations, the East Palo Alto Sanitary District Public Relations Plan (EPASDPReP) would seek to accomplish the following objectives;
1. Enhance the awareness of the district amongst service users and the general public.
2. Create good perceptions regarding the EPASD and its services as well as its service delivery amongst ratepayers, employees, contractors, the media, other public agencies and the general community.
3. Create and reinforce the district’s professional corporate image as a well-run-cost-effective public agency?
Each objective is associated with a set of specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and achievable goals. Each goal is further associated with specific actions or activities. The following table displays the goals and activities associated with each objective.
24 | P a g e
TABLE 16 PUBLIC RELATIONS OBJECTIVES, GOALS AND ACTIONS OBJECTIVES GOALS ACTIONS/STRATEGY 1. Enhance the awareness of the district amongst 1. Increase awareness of the 1. Annual Anniversary celebration-Open House the Key publics (ratepayers, service users, district/ratepayers by 50 % from the current 2. Change the name of the agency so that it does not residents, business owners and public agencies. 35% amongst ratepayers at the end of a 12 leave out ratepayers residing outside the city limits of moth period. East Palo Alto but who are in the district. 2. Increase/maintain awareness of the 3. Tour of Water Treatment Plant. district amongst other local public 4. Speakers Bureau agencies- cities of East Palo Alto, Menlo 5. Join Chamber of Commerce, Park, and Palo Alto; counties of San Mateo 6. Join Service Organizations Such as the Kiwanis and and Santa Clara; Westbay Sanitary District; Rotary clubs. Menlo Park Fire Protection District, 7. State of District address annually. 3. Increase/maintain awareness of the district 8. Booths at Community Special events – amongst policy makers in San Mateo and 9. Create a Friends-of-EPASD. Santa Clara counties. 10. Publish a quarterly newsletter. 11. Publish an annual brochure 12. Publish other educational materials such as pamphlets and posters. 13. Develop audio visual materials on the district to be posted on U-Tube and Facebook. 14. Develop news and feature releases and post on the district website. 15. Use print advertising in select publications for marketing purposes 2. Create good perceptions regarding the EPASD 1. Increase the number of ratepayers, 1. Website revamp To include interactive features and its services as well as its service delivery members of the public having a positive allowing for visitor registration and visitor posting of amongst ratepayers, employees, contractors, view of the district. comments the media, other public agencies and the 2. Increase number of residents with the 2. Change the name of the district general community. positive perception of the district’s delivery 3. Develop audio visual materials about the district. of services by 4. Develop, distribute as well as post on the district 3. Increase positive view of the district by website a media kit LAFCo, the Grand Jury, the County of San 4. Develop regular press releases –distribute to local Mateo and the cities of Menlo Park, East media and publish on the district website. Palo Alto and Palo Alto. 5. Send releases to other agencies in the state. 6. Invite other agency policy makers as well as staff to district events 7. Disseminate story idea memos. 8. Establish a fats, oil and grease disposal program 9. Establish a commode replacement program 10. Establish an expired prescription disposal program 3. Create and reinforce the district’s professional 1. Win a California Association of Sanitary 1. Change the name of the district corporate image as a well-run-cost-effective Agencies achievement award in the 2. Develop innovative and effective public outreach public agency? categories of Public Outreach and Education, and education programs. and organizational excellence by June 30 2015.
25 | P a g e
PUBLIC RELATIONS MESSAGE
A public relations plan and the campaign it supports, must have an underlying message. This message would undergird every strategy, every activity that is adopted and implemented in the plan/campaign. The message would be manifest in every speech that is delivered, every press release that is produced and disseminated. It would also be clear in the stories in any newsletter that is published, as well as the materials disseminated through brochures etc.
Public relations pundits and practitioners suggest that for such messages, to be effective, they must have both an emotional and rational appeal. After reflecting on discussions with various directors, and the previous and current General Manager the plan would like to suggest a message with a ‘pride’ appeal evoking the length of time the district has been in existence in comparison to other public agencies in the area, and a rational appeal evoking the excellent financial stewardship that has characterized the management of the district in the last several board terms.
The plan would therefore suggest the following as the core message to undergird the East Palo Alto Sanitary District Public Relations Plan:;
“The East Palo Alto Sanitary District is one of the longest serving public agencies in the county, consistently providing efficient, cost effective, and professional sewer and waste water management services to a district spanning two cities.”
The plan would also suggest that the “BEST KEPT SECRET IN TWO TOWNS!” be the slogan for the plan/campaign underscoring the relative anonymity with which the district currently operates and the fact that it services communities spanning two cities.
PUBLICS OR TARGETED AUDIENCES
The generally accepted classic definition of a ‘public’ is “a group of people that shares a common interest vis-à-vis an organization, recognizes its significance, and sets out to do something about it”7 Publics have been characterized in various ways. Some experts and pundits have spoken of “internal “ opposed to “external” publics, others yet have spoken of “customers”, “producers”, “enablers and limiters”8 with “enablers” and “limiters” regarded as those that respectively make the organization successful or undermine its success.
Taking these perspectives into consideration, the plan identifies the district’s various “publics” as consisting of the following:
7 John Dewey, cited in Smith, Ronald D. “Strategic Planning for Public Relations” Routledge, New York,2009 pg. 48 8 Ronald D. Smith Strategic Planning for Public Relations, Routledge, New York, 2009 pg. 52
26 | P a g e
1. An internal public comprised of: o District employees, o District board of directors, and o Individuals and companies that the district hires on a contractual basis to perform a myriad of functions to advance the district’s mission. 2. An external public comprised of: o Ratepayers including . Mono lingual Spanish, Tongan, Samoan and English speakers . Bilingual speakers including English, Samoan, Spanish, Tongan and a myriad of other language speaker. . Two distinct communities with discernible demographic differences (370 RATE PAYERS IN MENLO PARK) o Former local elected officials o Other local elected officials, (City Councils of East Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Palo Alto; Counties of San Mateo and Santa Clara, Special Districts: Menlo Park Fire Protection District, West Bay Sanitary District. o Businesses, o Service users residing on properties within the district’s boundaries who vote, o Service users residing on properties within the district’s boundaries who do not vote. o Community leaders o Community organizations, o Regulatory organizations, o Professional Experts o The Media: Palo Alto Weekly, Palo Alto Daily, The Mercury News, the San Francisco Chronicle, East Palo Alto Today, Palo Alto Post, East Palo Alto Information, o San Francisco Bay Keeper an activist group that monitors the environmental health of the bay., o Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) o San Francisquito Creek Joint Powers Authority, o Other Sanitary and Sewer districts in the state o Other public agencies o Residents of the cities of Menlo Park and East Palo Alto.
All publics in either category can be ‘enablers’ i.e. support and enhance the success of the district or ‘limiter’ i.e. undermine efforts that would ensure the success of the district.
27 | P a g e
The ultimate goal of a public relations plan/campaign is to turn disparate individuals without a bond into a distinct public, and not just any public, but a public that is comprised of enablers.
28 | P a g e
TABLE 17: EAST PALO ALTO SANITARY DISTRICT EXTERNAL, INTERNAL AND OTHER PUBLICS External/Ratepayers Internal/Producers Others/External Enablers Ex directors, Employees Community Leaders- Community Organization, Other local elected officials, City District Board Regulatory Organizations Councils Volunteers Professional experts, Other special districts Businesses, Ex-employees Palo Alto Weekly, Palo Alto Post, Palo Alto Daily, East Renters residing in the district who vote, California Association of Palo Alto Information, an Francisco Bay Keeper9, Renters residing in the district who do Sanitation agencies LAFCo, , Ex directors not vote Plumbers Plumbers Ex board members Paper towel manufactures East Palo Service users Building contractors Menlo Park Service users Water companies City of Palo Alto-Palo Alto Water Treatment Center East Palo Alto City Council Menlo Park City Council County of San Mateo, Youth Seniors
Limiters Activists- e.g. San Francisco Baykeeper Employees Community Leaders, Community Organization, Ex board members, District Board Regulatory Organizations Other local elected officials, Volunteers Professional experts, Other special districts City Councils, Ex-employees Palo Alto Weekly, Palo Alto Post, Palo Alto Daily, East Businesses Palo Alto Information East Palo Alto Service users San Francisco Bay Keeper, LAFCo Menlo Park Service users Youth Seniors
9 San Francisco Bay keeper founded in 1989, San Francisco Bay keeper works to reverse the environmental degradation of the past and promote new strategies and policies to protect the water quality of the San Francisco Bay. For more than two decades, Bay keeper has been the premiere watchdog of the water quality of San Francisco Bay. 29 | P a g e
KEY PUBLICS
For the purpose of this plan however, the key publics for EPASDPReP will include:
1. Ratepayers. This is of course the population that pays the district’s annual rates and may or may not be residing or doing business in the house or building they may own. 2. Service users/Renters of residential property within the district boundaries. These are the individuals that reside within the district’s boundaries. They of course would be the most directly impacted if the district pipe system is not functioning properly. To the extent that they reside within the district boundaries they are the residents who may or may not have the right to vote on all district related matters or measures. 3. People serving the district as employees or contractors. These are individuals who have a direct fiduciary interest in the district as employees exercising various functions essential in the operation of the district 4. People doing business within the district boundaries. This group is comprised of business owners renting facilities within the district’s boundaries, they too, like the people residing within the district’s boundaries would be directly impacted by the good operation or lack thereof of the sewer system. 5. Other public agencies in the city and in both San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, commissions established by such bodies and Joint Power Authorities that may exist within the two counties, other sanitation agencies in the state, as well as trade associations such as the California Association of Sewer Agencies’ members. This “public” is important particularly because the district, in its vision, seeks to be recognized as “an example of good government, public service and innovative leadership in the sanitary sewer services industry.” 6. The media, to the extent that the district would have the interest of encouraging it to be less of a “limiter” and more of an “enabler” in their reporting of the district. 7. Menlo Park residents served by the district. 8. Service users living in East Palo Alto.
To understand the key publics, the plan conducted two surveys, a general district survey that included a total sample of 600 comprised of 500 individual residences and 100 Institutions and Businesses within the district. Survey results provided clear indications of the degree to which East Palo Alto Sanitary District is appreciated as well the most effective means of communicating with service recipients in the district. The entire survey report is included as an attachment to this report as Appendix 22.
The second survey was an internal survey that sought to solicit information about the internal public of the district, specifically around issues pertaining to their perceptions or knowledge of the district’s goals, the challenges it faces internally and externally, and the extent to which public information or public relations is important to the district.
30 | P a g e
The plan also sought information about the key publics from census data as well as various studies that have been compiled on the media.
In terms of key demographic factors, the population of the district is predominantly Hispanic; evenly divided in terms of gender; a majority of the residential population is comprised of renters with the obvious implication that materials produced by the district would have to be translated into the Spanish language. Most of the residential housing units are occupied by a renter (56%) which means that they are not directly responsible for the payment of annual district rates and may not even know what the rates are.
East Palo Alto and Menlo Park, (or more precisely the portions of the two cities comprising the district) are however demographically very distinct. Hispanics comprise the majority population in East Palo Alto, whereas in Menlo Park Whites constitute the majority; the median household income in Menlo Park is almost twice as high ($85,000) as that in East Palo Alto ($45,000). Median family income in Menlo Park is 138% higher than East Palo Alto. While the study did not further analyze the internal differences that these two distinct populations may have in terms of knowledge of the district as well as their media use characteristics, it would not be unreasonable to assume that there are differences, and that these distinctions would necessitate and indeed demand different public relations approaches.
TABLE 18-ETHNICITY OR RACE BY CITY10 MENLO PARK PCT EAST PALO ALTO PCT TOTAL PCT Other 1,223 4% 688 2% 1,911 3% Pacific Islander 446 1% 2,083 7% 2,529 4% Asian 3,132 10% 1,025 4% 4,157 7% Black 1,482 5% 4,458 16% 5,940 10% White 19,841 62% 1,754 6% 21,596 36% Hispanic 5,902 18% 18,147 64% 24,049 40% TOTAL 32,026 100% 28,155 100% 60,182 100%
10 It should be noted that the figures presented in the demographic table comparisons of the two cities is not purely confined to the portions of the both cities that are part of the district. The assumption made is that the demographic characteristics of the city population are equally manifest in the areas of the two cities that make up the district.
31 | P a g e
TABLE 18 AGE BY CITY Menlo Park PCT East Palo Alto PCT TOTAL PCT
Under 5 2,458 8% 2,616 9% 5,074 8% 5 to 17yrs 5,347 17% 6,360 23% 11,707 19% 18-64yrs 19,643 61% 17,504 62% 37,148 62% 65 years 4,578 14% 1,675 6% 6,253 10% TOTAL 32,026 100% 28,155 100% 60,182 100%
MENLO PARK PCT EAST PALO ALTO PCT TOTAL PCT TABLE 20-GENDER
Male 15488 48% 14,268 51% 29,756 49% Female 16538 52% 13887 49% 30,425 51% TOTAL 32026 100% 28155 100% 60181 100%
TABLE 21-HOUSING OCCUPANCY MENLO PARK PCT EAST PALO ALTO PCT AVERAGE PCT
Owner occupied 3,423 46% 2,971 43% 3,197 45% Renter occupied 3,985 54% 3,969 57% 3,977 56% Vacant units 1,005 12% 879 11% 942 12% Detached housing 4,531 54% 51% 2,266 52% Occupied Housing units 7,408 88% 6,940 89% 7,174 88% Average Household size 4.03 4.03 4
32 | P a g e
Menlo Park East Palo Alto Average TABLE 22-INCOME BY CITY Median Household income $ 84,609.00 $ 45,006.00 $ 64,807.50 Median Family Income $ 105,550.00 $ 44,342.00 $ 74,946.00 Per capita income $ 53,341.00 $ 13,774.00 $ 33,557.50 Individuals in poverty $ 2,059.00 $ 4,658.00 $ 3,358.50
TABLE 23-EDUCATIONAL LEVELS OF PERSONS OVER 25 YEARS BY CITY Educational Level Menlo Park PCT East Palo Alto PCT Total PCT High School Graduate 2,216 14% 2,733 63% 4,949 24% Bachelor's degree 6,949 43% 1,069 25% 8,018 39% Graduate and above 6,896 43% 545 13% 7,441 36%
TOTAL 16,061 100% 4,347 100% 20,408 100%
According to a district survey of persons in the district less than 30% of residents in the district know about the district and what it does. This fact provides the key justification for the first objective of the EPASDPReP i.e. To “Enhance the awareness of the district amongst service users and the general public” Amongst commercial property owners however, over 70% know of the district and its functions.
33 | P a g e
Figure 51 MEDIA PREFERENCES WITHIN THE DISTRICT
TV Radio Article Web Site MEDIA PREFERENCES TOTAL e-mail MEDIA PREFERENCES COMMERCIAL Flyer MEDIA PREFERENCES RESIDENTIAL Call Newsletter Letter
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Figure 57 NEWSPAPER PREFERENCES
El Mensajero SJ Mercury SF Chronicle EPA Today Palo Alto Weekly Series1 Palo Alto Post S. M. Times D. News 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%
34 | P a g e
The district’s top five preferred media of communication by priority are: letter, phone call, fliers, newsletters and e-mail. In terms of newspaper readership, San Jose Mercury, the Palo Alto Daily News and the San Francisco Chronicle are the top three newspapers.
Further analysis of the survey data revealed that in Menlo Park however, underscoring the differences between the two communities comprising the district, five newspapers comprise the top two papers, with the Mercury and the Daily News sharing first place in terms of readership and the Chronicle, the Palo Alto Post and the Palo Alto Weekly sharing second place. The East Palo Alto Today, the San Mateo Times and el Mensajero, newspapers that have some readership in East Palo Alto, were not mentioned at all In the survey by residents of the City of Menlo Park in the district.
TABLE 24 Newspaper Readership Comparison by City East Palo Alto Menlo Park Average S.J. Mercury 29% 29% 29% Daily News organizational media 25% 29% 27% SF Chronicle 23% 14% 19% Palo Alto Post 4% 14% 9% Palo Alto Weekly 4% 14% 9% EPA Today 10% 0% 5% San Mateo Times 4% 0% 2% El Mensajero 2% 0% 1%
Total 100% 100% 100%
35 | P a g e
STRATEGY
The East Palo Alto Sanitary District Public Relations Plan (EPASDPREP) would consist of a five pronged strategy combining the use of interpersonal communication strategies; use of such as newsletters brochures, social networks, enhanced website; use of existing media outlets as vehicles of disseminating news and feature releases as well as advertising and finally the development and implementation of programs relevant to the district purpose but that would more likely garner greater interest from the public.
The theme that would form the crux of every message disseminated through interpersonal communication, organizational media, the news media, advertising media would be:
“The East Palo Alto Sanitary District is one of the longest serving public agencies in the county, consistently providing efficient, cost effective, and professional sewer and waste water management services to a district spanning two cities.” The accompanying slogan would be “The Best Kept Secret in two Cities”.
Interpersonal communication,
Interpersonal communication would engage directors and staff in presentations within the EPASD headquarters, or outside in other public spaces (community rooms and parks) and in schools. Board members and key management staff will make presentations regarding the district and district programs at public events, in schools, and at various other opportunities that may be provided by community groups such as Kiwanis, Rotary etc. The district will actively seek these opportunities. District personnel will make formal presentations to other public bodies notably the East Palo Alto City Council, the Menlo Park City Council, the Palo Alto City Council on a regular basis. Speeches made at these events, written items distributed at these events will underscore the plans key message. Newly printed business cards will also bear the same message. Organizational media
Organizational media would include general publications that the district produces such as fliers, newsletters, brochures, and calendars. This would also include media guides and educational materials, posters, audio-visual media such as promotional videotapes and a district website. These publications would be directed both at the ‘external’ (i.e. ratepayers, other public agencies, residents and businesses residing and operating in the district) and the “internal” public (the board, the employees both regular and contractual)
The plan proposes the use of district staff, particularly staff whose work requires them to visit regularly various portion of the district in their day to day work in the distribution of informational as well as educational materials in various forms
36 | P a g e
A lot of work the The district would have to develop its own materials to distribute widely to ratepayers and sundry. District produced newsletters, fliers, brochures and giveaways such as calendars would be an effective way of reaching out to both internal and external publics. The recent survey completed on behalf of the district, indicates that residents prefer information sent to them directly by the district in the form of some form of written communication. It should be noted that the City of Menlo Park and City of East Palo Alto demographic profiles are different and further analysis of their respective media habits would have to be done to ensure that both populations’ communication habits are appropriately taken into account.
This strategy would also entail a revamp of the district’s website to make it more attractive, user friendly and with the kind of information that the various publics would benefit from. The website could also be an effective vehicle of collecting e-mail addresses so that the district can communicate directly with ratepayers, media personnel etc. Media personnel, journalists or editors, in the era of the internet, scout corporate websites frequently to gather, confirm or dispel facts, the district web needs to be revamped so that it can become a source of information not only for ratepayers, members of the general public but also for representatives of the media, journalists, editors, researchers and bloggers.
A very large number of media personnel use, as a primary source of information for articles written, or programs produced, corporate websites. The district’s website should be set up in a manner that they can receive information 24/7. Finally, with a multi-lingual culturally diverse community, the website could be an effective channel for people to access multi-lingual audio-visual material about the district.
To the extent that the survey revealed that ratepayers were not familiar with the work of the district, materials will be developed and distributed specific to such topics as ‘sewer laterals”, “prescription drugs and the sewer system”, “What a community’s Health has to do with a healthy sewer and water treatment system’
Social media use is becoming an important part of the media consumption culture. The district must join the band wagon with engagement in the new media of You Tube , Facebook, Linked In, Nextdoor neighborhood networks such as Palo Alto Park.
News Media and Advertising:
Use of the existing news media in terms of regular distribution of news and feature releases concerning the district,; indirect news materials such as story idea memos, opinion materials, letters to the editor, and interactive news opportunities such as news interviews, news conferences and media tours. This strategy would include a conscious effort to identify and develop relationships with member of the electronic, print, broadcast media as well as bloggers. As noted earlier, 75% of the news published in local papers in the last twenty years was generated by reporters independent of the district. Providing reporters information to be used in articles they write about the district has to be
37 | P a g e a key strategy in the plan. The plan would also suggest the Training of the board of directors and management staff in effective media engagement techniques. Media personnel will call directors and staff regarding issues pertaining to the district. The district needs to develop protocols as to how those contacts can and should be handled. Even more importantly whoever becomes designated as the point media person should be well informed about this plan and particularly the message the district would be communicating in the plan’s implementation. The media strategy would also entail the strategic use of advertising and promotional media including newspaper advertisements in select publications, electronic media advertising as appropriate, public service announcements, as needed and promotional giveaway items as may be considered appropriate.
The San Jose Mercury, the San Francisco Chronicle and the Daily News are the three most read newspapers in the district. In addition, there is the East Palo Alto Today a newspaper that publishes infrequently but with at least six publications a year but which focuses primarily on the East Palo Alto part of the district. The district has in the past bought several advertisements in the East Palo Alto Today but there is no evidence as to its purchasing of ads in any of the other papers. Additionally, the district being such a multi-cultural community, the district may find it advisable to purchase ads in such newspapers as the El Mensajero if only in recognition of the predominance of this population in the district.
TABLE 25: Survey of media (journalists) habits in the wired world -200011 85% Visit corporate websites at least once a month 79% Researched the internet 24 hours a day 78% Indicated they preferred receiving news releases via e-mail 68% Made contacts with news prospects via the internet 50% Visit corporate websites at least once a week 50% Say that Public Relations folks do not understand the media 48% Say that phone calls from PR personnel are a waste of time 46% Accessed media kits electronically 43% Researched corporate news archives on line
Other publications, such as the newly created East Palo Alto Information, an annually published community resource guide may be a vehicle that the district could use to disseminate information to the majority12 of residents in the district.
11 Middleberg, D., & Ross, S.S. (2001) The Middleberg/Ross survey of media in the wired world, 2000, New York: Middleberg Euro cited in Smith, Ronald D. (2009) Strategic Planning for Public Relations New York, Routledge Taylor and Francis Group page 225 12 370 ratepayers live in the Menlo Park portion of the district, which would not be reached by media outlets that focus on East Palo Alto.
38 | P a g e
NEW PROGRAMS: Finally the plan would recommend the implementation of new programs that would, in addition to addressing some of the problems the district faces, such as the disposal of expired prescription drugs or fats oil and grease would enhance the visibility of the district and disseminate the critical work that it does to ensure public health and the safeguard of the environment. Such programs would, the plan believes, generate general media and public interest.
The district’s primary business is not the kind that offers the best of publicity/public relations opportunities. There would be little news and public interest in the fact that annually the district flushes thirty miles of sewer piping; scans visually every square inch of the piping to detect any cracks etc. That said however, the district work can be linked to public and environmental health and eventual costs savings to the rate payer.
The plan proposes the creative use of the district’s maintenance staff, who in the course of their day to day work, visit every area of the district.
PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION
The East Palo Alto Sanitary District has a staff of eleven, currently comprised of both regular and contractual employees. In addition, the district has contracts with external firms covering accounting, engineering, information technology, legal, transcription, public relations and website management services.
The activities suggested in the EPASDPReP would involve, at the least, all regular employees and may entail the creation of some new positions either as regular employees or as contractual employees. Appendix 4 provides information about the role and compensation status of public relations specialists in various industries. The sewer industry ranks amongst the top ten in using and compensating public relations professionals.
For the purpose of this plan however, the General Manager or his designee shall be the point person for the program’s implementation and the Public Information and Intergovernmental Committee would be board’s oversight committee.
Table 26 sums up the strategies and the activities associated with each strategy. Each activity is differentiated in terms of suggested frequency, either monthly, quarterly, bi-annually or annually.
39 | P a g e
Under the interpersonal communication strategy, the plan suggests participation in most if not all the major community events and festivals in the city of East Palo Alto as well as events that may take place in the area of Menlo Park that the district serves. In addition the plan suggests a coordination of a tour of the Palo Alto Water Treatment Plan at least twice a year. Such a tour could be coordinated collaboratively with the center. The plan suggests several public events to be coordinated by the district; an open house, where the public would be invited and the district will stage displays of its work; a state of the district address that would engage the board president in a presentation to the public about the achievements of the district in the course of a year; formal presentation to other public agencies (cities of East Palo Alto, Menlo Park, County of San Mateo, the Ravenswood City School District) about the work of the district, particularly in the areas of managing what is flushed through its sewer system.
Under the organization (internal) media strategy, the plan proposes: the reinstitution of a quarterly Public Relations Newsletter to be published in January, April, July and October; the preparation and dissemination of a media kit, sending of letters to ratepayers residents and business operators as necessary; the revamping of the district website as well as the posting all communications developed to the district website; the development and dissemination of a district brochure and other educational materials; the development of a promotional videotape.
One of the main activities of the maintenance crew is the clearing, videotaping of the district main sewer lines. In the course of a year they travel the entire district videotaping and flushing the lines. Their presence on the streets provides a good opportunity for the district to make itself and its programs known street block by street block. The EPASDPReP would propose that the week before their work on a street block, maintenance workers leave door hangers announcing that activity. The door hangers will also include information regarding disposal of expired prescription drugs, and cooking fat, ghee and lard into the sewer system or any other programs or activities the district may be planning. For instance an upcoming open house would be advertised through door hangers as well as other media. Staff would be trained to answer any questions that residents may have. Once again the activities are grouped in terms of monthly, quarterly, biannually and annually.
Most discussions about Public Relations strategies tend to focus on the print, broadcasting and electronic media; however, these media are only several of many tools that organizations have to achieve their public relations goals. While they may have some of the widest penetrations of the public, they tend to be media vehicles where organizations have little control. There is never a guarantee that information about an organization sent to the media will, one, be published, and two whether it will be published in the manner sent. Their existence cannot however be ignored. Development of the electronic media however has given organizations other outlets for organization- generated- information.. Press releases developed for the media can also be made available to the public through posting in an organizations website as well as other social media.
40 | P a g e
The EPASDPReP proposes, under the news media strategy, developing news, feature, and story idea releases; crafting opinion pieces; orchestrating letters to the editor; coordinating news conferences and or interviews and equally as important, providing trainings to the board and key staff on ways to relate with the members of the media. • Advertising, as in placing advertisements in the local media, is also an effective means of implementing a public relations plan. The recent survey identified the San Jose Mercury, the Palo Alto Daily News, the San Francisco Chronicle and the East Palo Alto Today as the four most read newspapers in the district. The district is already taking ads out in the East Palo Alto Today publication. The plan proposes taking out ads in the most popular newspapers/media as well as in some ethnic media that some local residents read, watch and or listen to. Again, activities in this area are suggested either monthly, quarterly, bi-annually or yearly.
As part of this strategy, the EPASDPReP is also suggesting that the district invest some resources in some promotional giveaways. Appropriate giveaways would be suggested, manufactured and distributed within the district. Giveaways would be selected that support the work of the district and the Public Relations message of the EPASDPReP. Producing and distributing toilet tissue with messages relating to the work of the district would be an effective way of making the district known.
Finally, EPASDPReP is proposing that the district establish three programs that would inform the public as to best practices that would ensure a-clog-free water saving sewer system but more importantly would highlight the work of the district in ways that the public would quickly be able to relate to. The EPASDPReP proposes that, as appropriate, in collaboration with other agencies, notably the Palo Alto Water Treatment Plant, the City of East Palo Alto, the City of Menlo Park, the County of San Mateo, the Westbay Sanitary District, Recology, and the Ravenswood Health Center, the district establish and implement the following programs:
1. A fats, oils, and grease (FOG) disposal program whose intent will be to eliminate the disposal of these items into the sewer system. Recology, the company that has the contract for trash removal already has recommendations as to how to eliminate fats, oil and grease that does not entail flushing it down drains. These items can be made part of the regular trash pick-up. The city of East Palo Alto also has a used oil program that could benefit from such a program. While Recology has tried to market its program, It seems, as if, to the extent that oil, fat and grease are still finding their way into the sewer system, the district should collaborate with other interested agencies in establishing a program to fight this FOG disposal habit.
2. A used prescription drug disposal program that would also eliminate the use of the sewer system as a convenient way of ridding a home of expired drug disposal. The possible dramatic impact on the marine environment provides impactful opportunities for educational programs particularly in schools.
3. A program to replace old high water using toilet commodes.
41 | P a g e
In addition to these programs, the plan would recommend that the district:
1. Create an East Palo Alto Sanitary District Friends of the Environment (EPASDFotE) a volunteer group of advocates who can augment the districts public outreach resources in the promotion of the above programs. Members of this group would assist district staff at public events.
2. Train district staff to think “public outreach and relations” in their work and make additional efforts to reach out to the public in their work.
LIMITS OF THE PLAN-
Each of the strategies of course has its own limitations that would have a bearing on the degree of success of the plan. The success, for instance, of the activities proposed for the interpersonal strategy from a public relations outcome perspective would depend on the numbers of service users who participate in the open house, in the tour of the Water Treatment Plant, in the speakers bureau events, in the local community events and who attend special meetings of the board, or tune in to the broadcasts of the city of East Palo Alto and City of Menlo Park meeting broadcasts.
For the organizational media strategy the hope is that service users will receive the newsletters, the brochures, the educational materials (door hangers, posters etc.) and that they will read them. That they will visit the revamped website and access social media pages of the district. In other words they will access and partake of the information that the district will disseminate through these various channels. The possibility is however there that they might receive and not read or regardless of efforts to revamp the website it may not generate the level of visitors that would impact positively the desires district public relations outcomes.
The news media strategy also has its limitations. As noted earlier, reporters initiate and write their own stories about agencies such as the district. In an analysis of news of the district in the media for the last twenty years revealed that articles tended to portray the district negatively for the simple reason that the stories from the news media perspective generated greater ‘interest”. The media’s interest for stories about the district may not align with the district’s interest of portraying the district as “the best kept secret in two cities, being one of the longest community serving public organizations providing efficient, cost effective, professional sewer and waste water management services to the residents of district”
42 | P a g e
Use of advertising media is expensive. Using the top three newspapers read by service users to convey information in the district may not necessarily guarantee exposure to the district, newspapers advertising pages are crowded and unless ads occupy entire pages, there is a likelihood that they may not attain the visibility expected, after all newspapers have very short lifespans. Few if any readers keep yesterday’s paper for future reference unless it contains a description of some significant event like a presidential election result or the world championship of a local sports team.
The district in its long history has never systematically developed a public relations program that takes advantage of the several strategies available to it, to improve its image or simply to provide information to its service users. A few years ago the district published and distributed a newsletter, and in the last few months has engaged the services of consultant to develop and disseminate press releases to the local media. These activities while important have not been part of an overall strategy with clear public relations and or informational objectives. To the extent that this is the first time that a comprehensive strategy is being implemented, the likelihood of its success in achieving the district public relations objectives is considerably higher than whatever fragmented approach that has characterized the district’s approach in the past.
The overall success of the plan ultimately hinges on several facts: one the plan has a well-defined message and a practical strategy to convey that message to residents and business owners in the district; two, the district has not done this before and anything that the district does in terms of public relations is bound to have positive effects, particularly if the district does it in a well thought out, well planned manner; three, the plan is based on a multi-faceted strategy with a broad and diverse set of activities with the same overarching goal and four the plan incorporated the implementation of several programs that would be of interest to the public and particularly to the media and would enhance the possibilities of shedding positive light on the activities of the district.
43 | P a g e
TABLE 26: STRATEGIES AND FREQUENCY EXAMPLES OF ASSOCIATATED ACTIVITIES Strategy Examples Monthly Quarterly Bi-Annually Yearly Interpersonal Open House once a Participate in the Little League Open Tour of the Water Open House in Communication year Day Parade in April Treatment Plant in October. Tour of the Water Participate in the Embracing Youth April and October. State of the district Treatment Plant-yearly. Luncheon Fundraiser in April Stage a news address. In A Speakers Bureau Participate in the Cinco De Mayo conference to November Participation at local Parade and Celebration in May announce the start Presentations to special events- Participate in the Juneteenth Festival of a new program; the City of East State of the district Celebration in June adoption of budget Palo Alto City address once a year Participate in the City’ Anniversary without a rate Council Sponsorship Celebration in June/July increase Presentation to the Participate in the Children’s Day Ravenswood City Annual event in August School District. Participate in the Collard Green Presentation to the Festival in August Menlo Park City Participate in the National Night Out Council festivities in August. Presentation to the Distribute District Brochure County Board of Supervisors Organizational Monthly/Quarterly Media kit updated monthly with press Produce Develop a District Media tactics- newsletter releases as necessary. and Brochure District Brochure Update and distribute media Kit distribute a Educational Media kits Letters developed and sent to Public materials Educational materials ratepayers as necessary. Relations Promotional Posters Letters written to the editors of the newsletter videotape Audiovisual media Daily News, The Daily Post, the Palo in January, accessible through Website revamp Alto Weekly; the Almanac, The San April, July the district website Slide Show-u-tube Francisco Chronicle and the San Jose and Posters- Promotional videotape Mercury News,. .Post all October Develop a Media Facebook Page communication materials on to the Kit Linked In page website. Revamp website Regular update of website entailing Develop Door the upload of new information. hangers publicity Distribute door hangers in the course materials of the workday. Update of Social media pages
44 | P a g e
TABLE 27: STRATEGIES AND FREQUENCY OF ASSOCIATATED ACTIVITIES-NEWS MEDIA AND ADVERTISING Strategy Examples Monthly Quarterly Bi-Annually Yearly Social Media Create a Facebook Page and open a Check, modify and promote page Upgrade page to make it relevant. Tape a podcast/video Twitter account and twitter account, respond to Award min prizes to contest blog on how to dispose Develop podcasts and video blogs tweets and disseminate tweets winners of “grease” and have it and upload to website Track interactions with page as well translated into Spanish, Create contests with prizes to attract as website Tongan, Samoan and ‘like” “e.g. pictures of places in my Fijian. house/apartment/property I like the most” Link up with existing pages such as “Hometown EPA and like pages. Use instagram to upload pictures to Facebook, website etc. News News releases and feature News/feature releases Interactive news Interactive Interactive news Media- releases developed and opportunities- news news opportunities- indirect news material (i.e. disseminated interview, news opportunities- news interview, story idea memo ( ill health indirect news material (i.e. conference news news conference and sewer costs) story idea memo interview, opinion material i.e. position (prescription drug disposal news statement and sewer costs) conference Training on how to Letters to the editor opinion material i.e. deal with the Interactive news position statement Media. opportunities- news Letters to the editor interview, news conference Training of board of directors and GM on how to deal with the media Advertising Print advertising- Print advertising- Print advertising purchase Electronic Promotional items and Electronic media in the Chronicle, the San media (giveaways) Promotional advertising-public service Jose Mercury, the Palo advertising- Toilet paper Media announcements) Alto Daily, the Palo Alto public service Pens Out of home advertising Weekly, the Almanac and announcemen Purchase of an ad e.g. inflatables- outdoor the East Palo Alto Today. ts) in the East Palo poster (billboards) Alto information. Promotional items (giveaways)
45 | P a g e
TABLE 28: STRATEGIES AND FREQUENCY OF ASSOCIATATED ACTIVITIES-PROGRAMMATIC
Strategy Examples Monthly Quarterly Bi-Annually Yearly Programmati Establish a program to collect Regular staff meetings’ Training of c and dispose unused prescription Collection and disposal of employees to be PR drugs unused prescription drugs instruments. Establish A program to replace Collection and disposal of Establish the old high water using toilet fats, oils and grease. following programs: commodes. Orchestrated letter writing 1. Collection and Create a Friends-of-EPASD that by Friends of the Sanitary disposal of expired can volunteer at community District. drugs events. 2. Collection and Create a program to properly disposal of fats, oils dispose of fats, oils and grease and grease. (FOG) 3. Establish a Training of employees to be PR program to replace instruments high water using Regular Staff meetings and toilet commodes. sharing of information. 4. Establish an East Palo Alto Sanitary District Friends of the Environment (EPASDFotE)
46 | P a g e
BUDGET
The East Palo Alto Sanitary District Board of Directors will have the ultimate responsibility over the approval and implementation of the EPASDPReP. After its approval, the Public Information and Intergovernmental Committee of the board or whatever other committee the board may create, will assume oversight over the plans implementation. Any changes to the plan would have to be approved by the committee and the board of directors.
The day to day implementation of the plan would fall under the direction of the General Manager or his designee. Currently the district does not have the internal staff resources to be able to implement the proposed plan. That being the case, the district would basically have two options: 1. The district could scale down the plan to fit its current resources and continue its relationship with the PR consultant to implement portions of the plan. 2. The district could augment the resources and commit to full implementation of the plan. In this case, the district would have two options: a. It could engage the services of a consultant. b. It could create a public relations division and staff it with a Public Relations specialist with the responsibility of implanting the plan.
The plan recommends that the district hires a consultant to implement the plan. The consultant would take on the implementation of the bulk of the plan but additional district resources would still be needed to cover district’s staff involvement in some of the activities. Staff engagement is monetized in the “personnel” column. Estimated costs under this scenario would amount to approximately $249,992.00. The key advantage of this option is that it provides the best opportunity to implement the plan in the shortest time possible.
47 | P a g e
TABLE 29-CONTRACTED PUBLIC RELATIONS STAFF EAST PALO ALTO PUBLIC RELATIONS PLAN BUDGET SUMMARY STRATEGY PERSONNEL % SERVICES % SUPPLIES % CAPITAL % TOTAL % INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION $ 9,224 $ 45,320 $ - $ - $ 54,544 23% ORGANIZATIONAL MEDIA $ - $ 90,180 $ 10,000 $ - $ 100,180 42% NEWS MEDIA $ - $ 25,280 $ - $ - $ 25,280 11% ADVERTISING $ - $ 13,494 $ - $ 2,000 $ 15,494 6% PROGRAMMATIC $ - $ - $ - $ - $ -
EVALUATION $ - $ 43,400 $ - $ - $ 43,400 18% TOTAL $ 9,224 $ 217,674 $ 10,000 $ 2,000 $ 238,898 100% PERCENTAGE 4% 91% 4% 1%
48 | P a g e
PERSONNELL
The district’s day to day operations of the district are run by a General Manager. He oversees eight employees spread across three divisions, administrative, engineering and maintenance. The district contracts out engineering, legal and accounting functions. The General Manager is responsible for the administration of all District business.
The EPASDPReP presumes that every position in the organization will have a role in the implementation of the plan. Members of the board will variously be spokespersons for the district at community and public functions; the General Manager will have general oversight over the plan and will be expected to be the primary presenter in the Speakers Bureau Program as well as at the regularly scheduled meetings of other public agencies. The manager will also coordinate the development and presentation to the board proposals for new programs suggested in the plan. Other staff in the district will exercise various functions embedded in the five strategies outlined in the plan as illustrated in Table 32.
TABLE 29: Public Relations Plan Implementing Team Staff/Board of Plan Responsibilities Directors Board President The president will be the spokesperson for the district- She/he will represent the district at all special events, public functions and public meetings of other public agencies. Ensure district board representation at all community events Formally present district achievements at the state of the District address. Board Secretary May be selected to be the spokesperson for the district- She/he will represent the district at all special events, public functions and public meetings of other public agencies. Participate as assigned, in community events Board member May be selected to be the spokesperson for the district- She/he will represent the district at all special events, public functions and public meetings of other public agencies. Participate as assigned in all community events Board member May be selected to be the spokesperson for the district- represents the district at all special events, public functions and public meetings of other public agencies. Participate as assigned in all community events Board member May be selected to be the spokesperson for the district- She/he will represent the district at all special events, public functions and public meetings of other public agencies. Participate in as assigned in all community events.
1 General Manager Be the primary presenter in the Speakers Bureau Program Take overall responsibility for the Public Relations Campaign. Make presentations at all public agency meetings( Cities of East Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Palo Alto and County of San Mateo) Develop and present program proposals to the board of directors 2 Office Manager Coordinate speaker bureau program
49 | P a g e
Make presentations in the Speakers Bureau program Coordinate staffing assignments of special weekend events Track interactions at all community events Coordinates the State of the district event Track attendance at Speakers Bureau program 3 Administrative Assistant Coordinate the Website revamp Track district contacts by service users, ratepayers the internal as well as external publics. Organize service user tours of the Palo Alto Water Treatment Plant Maintain Facebook Page Update Website pages Track mention of the district in the local media Coordinates annual Open House Track website visits Track service user phone calls 4 Account Assistant Maintain and update ratepayer and service user data base Coordinate media advertising purchases 5 Maintenance Supervisor Staff community events Distribute door hangers, fliers and posters 6 Senior Maintenance Worker Staff community Events Distribute door hangers and fliers Track attendance at community events 7 Maintenance Worker Staff community events Distribute door hangers and fliers Track attendance at community events 8 Maintenance Worker Staff community events Distribute door hangers and fliers Track attendance at community events 9 Maintenance Worker Staff community events Distribute door hangers and fliers Track attendance at community events 1 District’s Engineer Make presentations to public bodies- City of East Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Palo Alto and the County of San 0 Mateo 1 District’s Accountant Track public relations related expenses and generally manage the public relations budget 1 1 District’s Attorney 2 1 Public Relations Consultant Set up news conferences 3 Writes Press Releases, Feature Releases Writes speeches for Board of Directors Produce a quarterly newsletter Produce an annual brochure
50 | P a g e
Prepare educational materials Prepare media materials, posters, giveaways Develop media material for specific capital improvement projects e.g. door hangers Prepare media kits Prepare a promotional video tape Coordinate training of board and staff on media relations Assist in the development of programs and their presentation to the board of directors Track press releases sent and used
EVALUATION
The East Palo Sanitary District Public Relations Plan proposes to evaluate the success of the implementation of the plan both quantitatively and qualitatively. The plan’s evaluation will be based on the three underlying objectives of the public relations campaign, i.e. Awareness, Acceptance and Action.
Table 15 indicates how each of the tactics, and the specific activities associated with them will be evaluated in terms of the Awareness, Acceptance and Action objectives of the plan.
Quantitatively, numbers will be collected regarding;
District sponsored as well as district attended events attendance at district sponsored events, interactions with the public at community events newsletters, brochures, media kits, door hangers, posters distributed website visits number of news releases developed, distributed and published advertisements taken in the local media promotional items distributed used prescription drugs collected Amounts of fats, oil and grease collected. high water using commodes replaced sewer lateral replacement permits taken
51 | P a g e
This data collection would of course mean that ways would have to be devised to collect and analyze the information and the district may have to reorganize itself to ensure that the data is systematically gathered and analyzed.
Qualitatively, the success or failure of the plan would be determined by a ratepayer survey to be conducted after at least 12 months of the plans implementation. The survey would solicit answers measuring the level of awareness of the district amongst service users, their opinions as to how the district is handling the district’s affairs; their satisfaction with the manner in which the district is handling service delivery and the extent to which they adopt and continue behavior that is conducive to the operation of a well -functioning sewer and waste water system. A survey questionnaire that would establish the qualitative success of the plan’s implementation is included as Appendix 21.
52 | P a g e
TABLE 30- EVALUATION OF INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION TACTICS IN TERMS Of AWARENESS, ACCEPTANCE AND ACTION AWARENESS ACCEPTANCE ACTION Strategy Activities Interpersonal Open House Tracking attendance Solicited comments from Tracking Communicati Tour of the Water Treatment Plant- Participation tracking attendees external attendance on Tactics. yearly. No of invitations publics Behavior change A Speakers Bureau Interactions Behavior change in the Participation at local special events- Attendance external publics State of the district address once a Invitation year Sponsorship
TABLE 31- EVALUATION OF ORGANIZATIONAL MEDIA TACTICS IN TERMS Of AWARENESS, ACCEPTANCE AND ACTION AWARENESS ACCEPTANCE ACTION Strategy Activities Organization Monthly/Quarterly newsletter Number distributed Increased knowledge of Tracking al Media District Brochure Number distributed district activities participation in tactics- Media kits Number accessed Participation in district district programs. general Educational materials Number distributed programs. Tracking sewer publications Posters and door hangers Number distributed Increased knowledge of permit Audiovisual media Number of hits best practices replacement Website revamp Number of visits Post campaign positive requests. change in perception of Less presence of the district fats oil and grease as well as prescription drugs in the sewer system.
53 | P a g e
TABLE 32- EVALUATION OF NEWS MEDIA TACTICS IN TERMS Of AWARENESS, ACCEPTANCE AND ACTION AWARENESS ACCEPTANCE ACTION Strategy Activities News Media- News releases and feature releases Number of releases Post campaign change in Fairness in the indirect news material (i.e. story idea Number of materials perception of the district. reporting of memo ( ill health and sewer costs) district matters opinion material i.e. position Number of materials Confidence and statement developed. competence in Number of letters dealing with the Letters to the editor Number of news media by board Interactive news opportunities- news conferences staged and staff. interview, news conference Number of trainings Training of board of directors and GM conducted. on how to deal with the media Advertising Print advertising- Number of Calls, and Electronic media advertising-public advertisements E-mails, visits received Promotional service announcements) purchased and from the external public Media Out of home advertising e.g. estimated reach. about district activities. inflatables- outdoor poster Number of public (billboards) service Promotional items (giveaways) announcements developed and aired Number of promotional items produced and given away and tracking of recipients.
54 | P a g e
TABLE 33- EVALUATION OF PROGRAMMATIC TACTICS IN TERMS Of AWARENESS, ACCEPTANCE AND ACTION AWARENESS ACCEPTANCE ACTION Strategy Activities Programmati Establish a program to collect and Number of used Marked reduction in the c dispose unused prescription drugs prescription drugs presence of A program to replace old high water collected pharmaceutical drugs in using toilet commodes. Number of commodes waste water from the Create a Friends-of-EPASD that can replaced district. volunteer at community events. Members joining a Marked reduction in Create a fats, oil grease disposal friends group water flow to the Palo program. Number of fats, oils Alto Treatment Center and grease Marked reduction of fats appropriately disposed oils and grease in the of district’s sewer lines.
TABLE 34: QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE EVALUATIONOF THE AWARENESS OBJECTIVES OF EPASDPReP. AWARENESS QUANTITY QUALITY OBJECTIVES INPUT Increase in the number of articles published in the media Conduct a well-put together Open House Increase number of events at which the East Palo Sanitary District is Conduct a well-attended news conference present. Increase number of events at which a representative of the district represent the district and is acknowledged Stage one open house a year Door hangers distributed by the maintenance staff in the course of the daily work. 1 Pre campaign ratepayer survey. 1 Post campaign ratepayer/resident survey. OUTPUT Increase in the number of media coverage of the district Post campaign awareness of the district, its services, and its board and staff Number of door hangers left in homes Number of persons attending Open House Number of persons attending news conference Number of events the district participates in Number of press releases developed and sent to the media, other public agencies and associations such as CASA
55 | P a g e
TABLE 35 QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE EVALUATIONOF THE ACCEPTANCE OBJECTIVES OF EPASDPReP. ACCEPTANCE QUANTITY QUALITY OBJECTIVES INPUT 4 Quarterly newsletters distributed to every district An Award winning quality multi-lingual newsletter 1 District brochure distributed to every resident in the district An Award winning quality multi-lingual brochure 1 used prescription drug disposal program established 1 Fats, Oils and Grease disposal program established Door hangers distributed by the maintenance staff in the course of the daily work.
OUTPUT Increase in number of persons requesting information via phone or visits, -Post campaign acceptance of district as a well-managed, organization (Post visiting website, writing letters, sending e-mail expressing interest or campaign attitude/opinion survey. support. Post event audience valuation Appreciative remarks received –e-mail; contacts with staff; letter, visits to Increase in the number of persons accepting district as the best public district offices. agency in East Palo Alto. California Association of Sanitation Agencies Award Number of door hangers left in homes
TABLE 36: QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE EVALUATIONOF THE ACTION OBJECTIVES OF EPASDPReP. ACTION QUANTITY QUALITY OBJECTIVES INPUT 1 Used prescription drug disposal program established Collaboration with the Palo Alto Water Treatment Center, Ravenswood Health 1 Fats, Oils and Grease disposal program established Clinic, the City of East Palo Alto, Westbay Sanitary District.
OUTPUT Increased attendance at meetings -Marked change in the presence of prescription drugs in waste water coming Increased participating in elections from the district. Increased requests taking advantage of the Lateral inspection program Marked awareness of sewer laterals and responsibility to them.
56 | P a g e
CONCLUSION
No one strategy can achieve the objective of making the East Palo Alto Sanitary district known to service users, ratepayers and others whose perspective of the district the agency wishes to influence. The East Palo Alto Sanitary District Public Relations Plan (EPASDPReP) has therefore suggested a combination of strategies that would most likely ensure the success of the public relations campaign. The plan is designed to guide the Board of Directors, its committees, the General Manager, as well as district staff in the agency’s collective effort at making itself known to the general public. The plan’s goal is to improve the districts image in the eyes of the public it serves, as well as all the public and private agencies it interfaces with.
The plan identifies key public relations objectives, identifies critical audiences and outlines several key strategies to achieve those objectives. It provides an understanding and perspective regarding the challenges and opportunities ahead, and the goals and activities designed to position the district as a well-known agency respected for its professionalism in service delivery and resource management.
Implementation of the public relations plan will enable the district to achieve its vision of being an “example of good government, public service and innovative leadership in the sanitary sewer services industry”.
57 | P a g e
APPENDICES
58 | P a g e
APPENDIX 1- BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND SUB-COMMITTEES
Board of Directors
General Manager
Public Information Human Resources & Facilities & Management & Finance & Audit Engineering & Intergovernmental Grounds Operations Committee Organization
EPASDPReP
59 | P a g e
APPENDIX 2: EAST PALO ALTO SANITARY DISTRICT ORGANIZATIONAL CHART
EPASD SERVICE USERS
Board of Directors
Auditor Legal (Consultant) Counsel(Consultant) General Manager
Accountant (Consultant) Engineer Maintenance Officer Manager Supervsior
Snr Maintenance Admin. Asst. Worker
Accountant Asst. Maintenance Worker 1
Webmaster Maintenance Worker 1
information Maintenance Technology Worker 1 consultant
Transcriber
60 | P a g e
East Palo Alto Sanitary District Public Relations Plan-Budget STRATEGY PERSONNEL SERVICES SUPPLIES CAPITAL TOTAL INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION PR Consultant $ 20,280.00 $ 20,280 75th Anniversary Celebrations $ 23,000.00 $ 23,000 Little League Open Day Parade $ 600 $ 600 Cinco de Mayo Parade $ 600 $ 600 Cinco de Mayo Festival $ 1,152 $ 1,152 City's Anniversary Parade $ 600 $ 600 City's anniversary Festival $ 1,152 $ 1,152 Juneteenth $ 1,152 $ 1,152 Polynesian Day $ 1,500 $ 1,500 Open House , August 24th $ 2,468 $ 300 $ 2,768 State of the District Address- August 22nd $ 300 $ 300 Community Meetings $ 1,440 $ 1,440 Presentation to the City of East Palo Alto $ - $ - $ $ - $ - - Presentation to the City of Menlo Park $ - $ - $ $ - $ - - Presentation to the Ravenswood City School $ - $ - $ $ - $ - District - Presentation to the County Board of Supervisors $ - $ - $ $ - $ - - TOTAL $ 9,224 $ 45,320 $ $ - $ 54,544 -
61 | P a g e
PERSONNEL SERVICES SUPPLIES CAPITAL TOTAL ORGANIZATIONAL MEDIA PR Consultant $ 20,280 $ 20,280 Develop Media Kit $ - Media Kit update $ - Media kit printing $ 1,500 $ 1,500 Revamp Website $ 10,000 $ 10,000 Create a Facebook page, open a twitter account $ - $ - Develop pod cast and video blogs for website and $10,000 $10,000 You Tube Face book page contests including prizes $10,000 $10,000 Development and design of a newsletter $ 1,280 $ 1,280 Printing of Public Relations Newsletter $ 6,000 $ 6,000 Distribution of Public Relations Newsletter $ 16,000 $ 16,000 Translation of Newsletter $ 4,000 $ 4,000 Develop design and layout of District Brochure $ 320 $ 320 Translate District Brochure $ 1,500 $ 1,500 Print District Brochure $ 6,000 $ 6,000 Develop Promotional Video tape $ 3,000 $ 3,000 Design and translation of Posters $ 1,000 $ 1,000 Print posters multi-lingual $ 3,500 $ 3,500 Door-hangers-Sewer line maintenance $ 5,800 $ 5,800 TOTAL $ - $ 90,180 $ $ - $ 100,180 10,000
62 | P a g e
PERSONNEL SERVICES SUPPLIES CAPITAL TOTAL NEWS MEDIA PR Consultant $ 20,280 $ 20,280 News/ feature releases produced and disseminated $ - Opinion materials and position statements $ - Letters to the editor $ - Training on managing media relations $ 5,000 $ 5,000 TOTAL $ - $ 25,280 $ $ - $ 25,280 - ADVERTISING PR Consultant $ - El Mensajero $ 2,494 $ 2,494 East Palo Alto Information Magazine $ 6,000 $ 6,000 Promotional items-Giveaways $ 5,000 $ 5,000 Pop up tents(Display2Go.com) $ $ 2,000 2,000 TOTAL $ - $ 13,494 $ $ $ 15,494 - 2,000 PROGRAMMATIC PR Consultant $ - Implement an expired prescription drug disposal $ - program Implement a high water using commode $ - replacement program Implement a lateral replacement program $ - Implement a cooking fat, grease and lard disposal $ - program TOTAL $ - $ - $ $ - $ - - EVALUATION $ - Quarterly Reports regarding progress of plan $ 3,500 $ 3,500 Service user survey at the end of 12 months $ 39,900 TOTAL $ - $ 43,400 $ $ - $ 43,400 -
63 | P a g e
EAST PALO ALTO PUBLIC RELATIONS PLAN BUDGET SUMMARY STRATEGY PERSONNEL % SERVICES % SUPPLIES % CAPITAL % TOTAL % INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION $ 9,224 $ 45,320 $ - $ - $ 54,544 23% ORGANIZATIONAL MEDIA $ - $ 90,180 $ $ - $ 100,180 42% 10,000 NEWS MEDIA $ - $ 25,280 $ - $ - $ 25,280 11% ADVERTISING $ - $ 13,494 $ - $ 2,000 $ 15,494 6% PROGRAMMATIC $ - $ - $ - $ - $ -
EVALUATION $ - $ 43,400 $ - $ - $ 43,400 18% TOTAL $ 9,224 $ 217,674 $ $ 2,000 $ 238,898 100% 10,000 PERCENTAGE 4% 91% 4% 1%
64 | P a g e
13 APPENDIX:-4 OCCUPATIONAL EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES –MAY 2012-PUBLIC RELATIONS SPECIALISTS
(a) National estimates for Public Relations Specialists: -Employment estimate and mean wage estimates: Employment Employment RSE14 Mean hourly wage Mean annual wage Wage RSE 201,280 1.0 % $29.80 $61,980 0.7 %
(b) Percentile wage estimates for Public Relations Specialists: Percentile 10% 25% 50% (Median) 75% 90% Hourly Wage $14.79 $19.27 $26.04 $35.63 $48.57 Annual Wage $30,760 $40,080 $54,170 $74,110 $101,030
(c) Industry profile for Public Relations Specialists: Industries with the highest levels of employment: Industry Employment Percent of industry Hourly mean wage Annual mean employment wage Advertising, Public Relations, and Related 33,070 7.68 $35.92 $74,720
Services Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and 19,060 4.52 $30.42 $63,280
Similar Organizations
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 15,590 0.54 $26.14 $54,370
Local Government (OES Designation) 9,710 0.18 $27.21 $56,600
Management of Companies and Enterprises 8,480 0.42 $30.71 $63,870
(d) Industries with the highest concentration of employment of Public Relations Specialists: Industry Employment Percent of industry Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage employment Advertising, Public Relations, and 33,070 7.68 $35.92 $74,720
Related Services Business, Professional, Labor, Political, 19,060 4.52 $30.42 $63,280
and Similar Organizations
Grant making and Giving Services 5,600 4.38 $26.54 $55,210
Social Advocacy Organizations 7,060 3.61 $26.11 $54,300
13 Engage in promoting or creating an intended public image for individuals, groups, or organizations. May write or select material for release to various communications media.
14 The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate
65 | P a g e
Sound Recording Industries 350 2.13 $33.41 $69,500
(e) Top paying industries for Public Relations Specialists: Industry Employment Percent of industry Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage employment Federal Executive Branch (OES 5,000 0.24 $42.30 $87,990
Designation)
Postal Service 80 0.01 $42.22 $87,810
Water, Sewage and Other Systems 40 0.08 $41.77 $86,870 Computer and Peripheral Equipment 220 0.14 $41.14 $85,570
Manufacturing Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes 50 0.13 $40.60 $84,440
Water Transportation
(f) Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients for Public Relations Specialists: Metropolitan area Employment Employment per Location quotient15 Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage thousand jobs Washington-Arlington- 13,980 5.97 3.86 $42.70 $88,820 Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
Metropolitan Division
Tallahassee, FL 710 4.57 2.96 $29.82 $62,020
Bloomington, IN 340 4.55 2.94 $28.58 $59,440
Olympia, WA 360 3.82 2.47 $28.08 $58,410
Jefferson City, MO 260 3.67 2.38 $30.70 $63,850
Ames, IA 150 3.66 2.37 $26.25 $54,590
Lincoln, NE 590 3.61 2.34 $27.13 $56,430
Boulder, CO 570 3.55 2.30 $24.82 $51,630 San Francisco-San Mateo- 3,530 3.53 2.28 $42.18 $87,730 Redwood City, CA
Metropolitan Division
Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA 1,080 3.52 2.28 $27.24 $56,650
15 The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average 66 | P a g e
APPENDIX 5-EPASDPReP TIME TABLE Outline Strategy Activities 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 1 1 2 Interpersonal Open House Communication Tour of the Water Treatment Plant-yearly. Tactics. A Speakers Bureau Participation at local special events- State of the district address once a year Sponsorship Organizational Monthly/Quarterly newsletter Media tactics- District Brochure general Media kits publications Educational materials Posters Audiovisual media Website revamp Slide Show-u-tube Promotional videotape News Media- News releases and feature releases indirect news material (i.e. story idea memo ( ill health and sewer costs) opinion material i.e. position statement Letters to the editor Interactive news opportunities- news interview, news conference Training of board of directors and GM on how to deal with the media Advertising and Print advertising- Promotional Media Electronic media advertising-public service announcements) Out of home advertising e.g. inflatables- outdoor poster (billboards) Promotional items (giveaways) Programmatic Establish a program to collect and dispose unused prescription drugs A program to replace old high water using toilet commodes. Create a Friends-of-EPASD that can volunteer at community events. Create a program that links good health with a cost effective sewer disposal system.
67 | P a g e
APPENDIX 6-NEWSPAPERS-MAGAZINES EDITORIAL Newspaper E-mail Phone Fax Address City
East Palo Alto Today, [email protected] 650-289-9699 2111 University Ave. Suite East Palo Alto 160
Palo Alto Daily News [email protected] 650-391-1000 255 Constitution Drive Palo Alto Palo Alto Daily Post [email protected] 650-328-7700 385 Forest Avenue Palo Alto [email protected] [email protected]
Palo Alto Weekly [email protected] 650-326-8210 650-326-3928 450 Cambridge Avenue Palo Alto San Francisco [email protected] Chronicle San Jose Mercury News
The Almanac, [email protected] 650-854-2626 Menlo Park El Mensajero 415-206-730 333 Valencia Street San Francisco
APPENDIX-7-NEWSPAPERS-MAGAZINES ADVERTISING Newspaper E-mail Phone Fax Address City East Palo Alto Today, [email protected] 650-289-9699 2111 University Ave. Suite 160 East Palo Alto
Palo Alto Daily News 650-391-1000 650-863-0904 255 Constitution Drive Palo Alto Palo Alto Daily Post [email protected] 385 Forest Avenue Palo Alto
Palo Alto Weekly 650-326-3928 450 Cambridge Avenue Palo Alto San Francisco Chronicle San Jose Mercury Info>bayareanewsgroup.com News The Almanac, Menlo Park El Mensajero 415-206-730 333 Valencia Street San Francisco
68 | P a g e
APPENDIX 8-NEWSPAPER ADVERTISING RATES Advertising rate estimates are for a column inch16 of black and white advertising space.
Newspaper/Publication DMA Area Rates City Type Width Height Width Height
San Francisco Chronicle San Francisco, CA $613.00 EPA Broadsheet 750mm 600mm 29.53in 23.62in
San Francisco Examiner San Francisco, CA $41.00 EPA Tabloid 430mm 280mm 16.53in 11.02in
San Jose Peninsula Metro Reporter San Francisco, CA $19.00 EPA Tabloid 430mm 280mm 16.53in 11.02in
El Observador San Francisco, CA $30.00 EPA Tabloid 430mm 280mm 16.53in 11.02in
San Jose Mercury News San Francisco, CA $485.00 EPA Broadsheet 750mm 600mm 29.53in 23.62in
East Palo Alto Today East Palo Alto $16.00 EPA Tabloid 430mm 280mm 16.53in 11.02in
Almanac San Francisco, CA $21.00 EPA Tabloid 430mm 280mm 16.53in 11.02in
Palo Alto Daily News San Francisco, CA $20.00 EPA Broadsheet 750mm 600mm 29.53in 23.62in
Palo Alto Weekly San Francisco, CA $31.00 EPA Tabloid 430mm 280mm 16.53in 11.02in East Palo Alto Information East Palo Alto $158.00 EPA Magazine 8.25in 10.75in ElMensajero San Francisco $52.50 Tabloid 5 9.5in 11.5in columns
APPENDIX-9 FREE MEDIA RESOURCES (Not a complete list) Media Program E-mail Fax Mailing Address Requirements Organization KQED-Radio Community Calendar [email protected] 415-553-2241 KQED Radio Events will be considered for air if the following information is included: 2601 Mariposa St. Name of event and sponsoring organization. Date and time of event. San Francisco, For multi-performance events, please include date and time of each CA 94110 individual performance. Street address of event. Description of event and phonetic pronunciation of names. Weekday telephone number of contact person available between 9am and 5pm
16 Unit of measure in a publication by which advertising space is sold Magazines and newspapers are divided into so many columns wide and so many inches deep (depth = height). A column inch measures 1 inch deep by 1 column wide, whatever the standard width is for the particular publication. If an advertiser's message fits into space that measures 4 columns wide by 5 inches deep, the advertiser needs 20 column inches (4 X 5 = 20). If the rate quoted by the publication is $20 per column inch, the space for the advertisement will cost $20 X 20 column inches, or $400. (allbusiness.com/glossaries/column inch)
69 | P a g e
APPENDIX-10-OTHER MEDIA Name Affiliation E-mail-contact Telephone Description
Dennis Parker Ratepayer Dennis has an extensive list of residents e-mail list that he uses to disseminate information about events in East Palo Alto Faye McNair-Knox One East Palo One East Palo Alto also has an extensive e-mail list of residents, organizations that it Alto uses regularly and successfully to disseminate information about its activities as well as other activities of interest. Hometown East Palo Facebook Hometown East Palo Alto has a growing number of subscribers (as of May it had 0ver Alto on Facebook 1900 members) with an interest Palo Alto, membership to the group is required. CBS5 CBS http://sanfrancisco. Cbslocal.com Vanessa Castaneda Menlo Park- [email protected] 650-201-1238 Vanessa is the local Patch editor who covers Menlo Park, Atherton, Redwood City and Atherton Patch Woodside. Claudia Cruz Palo Alto Patch [email protected]
70 | P a g e
APPENDIX 11-FM RADIO STATIONS Name Website E-mail Phone Fax Address City Zip KQED 88.5FM www.kqed.org/radio San Francisco KPOO-89.5FM www.kpoo.com KFJC 89.7 www.kfjc.org KZSU-90.1FM http://kzsulive.stanford.edu Stanford KSJS-90.5FM www.ksjs.org KCSM-91.1 FM http://kcsm.org/ San Mateo KKUP-91.5 FM http://www.kkup.com Los Gatos, KALW-91.7 FM http://www.kalw.org/ San Francisco KSJO-92.3 FM http://www.channel923.com/ San Francisco SFLR-93.7 FM http://www.liberationradio.net Berkeley KPFA-94.1 FM http://www.kpfa.org/ San Jose KBAY-94.5 FM http://www.kbay.com/ San Jose KYLD-94.9 FM http://www.wild949.com/ San Francisco KRTY-95.3 FM http://www.krty.com San Jose KBWF-95.7 FM http://www.957thewolf.com San Francisco, KOIT-96.5 FM http://www.koit.com/ San Francisco KLLC-97.3 FM http://radioalice.radio.com/ San Francisco KISQ-98.1 FM http://www.981kissfm.com/ San Francisco KFUX – KFOX-98.5 FM http://www.kfox.com/ San Jose, KSOL-98.9 FM http://www.univision.com/ San Francisco KFRC-99.7 FM http://kfrc.radio.com/ San Francisco KBRG-100.3 FM San Jose KIOI-101.3 FM http://www.1013.com San Francisco KDFC-102.1 FM http://www.kdfc.com/ San Francisco KBLX-102.9 FM http://www.kblx.com/ Berkeley KSCU-103.3 FM http://www.kscu.org Santa Clara KKSF-103.7 FM http://www.kksf.com/ San Francisco MIX-104.1 FM http://mix1041.radio.com/ North Bay KFOG-104.4 FM http://www.kfog.com/ San Francisco KITS-105.3 FM http://live105.radio.com San Francisco KEMR-105.7 FM Santa Clara KMEL-106.1 FM http://www.106kmel.com/ San Francisco KEZR-106.5 FM http://www.kezr.com/ San Jose KSAN-107.7 FM http://www.1077thebone.com San Mateo
71 | P a g e
APPENDIX 12-AM RADIO STATIONS Name Website E-mail Phone Fax Address City Zip KSFO-560 AM http://www.ksfo560.com/ San Francisco KEAR-610 AM http://www.familyradio.com/ Oakland, KNBR-680 AM http://www.knbr.com/ San Francisco, KCBS-740 AM http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com San Francisco KGO-810 AM http://www.kgoam810.com/ San Francisco KNEW-910 AM http://www.910knew.com/ Oakland KKGN-960 AM http://www.green960.com/ Oakland KDIA-1640 AM http://www.kdia.com/ Vallejo, KIQI-1010 AM http://www.radiounica.com/ San Francisco KIQI-1010 AM http://www.kiqi1010am.com/ San Francisco KTCT-1050 AM http://www.knbr.com/ San Mateo KFAX-1100 AM http://www.kfax.com/ San Francisco, KZSJ--1120 AM San Martin KLOK-1170 AM http://www.klok1170am.com/ San Jose KDYA-1190 AM http://www.gospel1190.net Vallejo KDOW-1220 AM http://www.kdow.biz/ Palo Alto KSFB-1260 AM http://ihradio.org/ Loomis, KAZA-1290 AM Gilroy KMKY-1310 AM http://radio.disney.go.com Oakland, KSRO-1350 AM http://www.ksro.com/ Santa Rosa KZSF-1370 AM http://www.1370am.com/ San Jose KVTO-1400 AM Berkeley, KVVN-1430 AM Santa Clara KEST-1450 AM http://www.kestradio.com/ San Francisco KRRS-1460 AM Santa Rosa KABN-1480 AM Concord KTOB-1490 AM Santa Rosa, KSJX-1500 AM http://www.mrbi.net/ San Jose KPIG-1510 AM http://www.kpig.com Santa Cruz KFRC -1550 AM http://kfrc.radio.com/ San Francisco KLIV-1590 AM http://kliv.com/ San Jose
72 | P a g e
APPENDIX 13-TV STATIONS KTVU-Channel 2 http://www.ktvu.com Oakland KRON-TV-Channel 4 http://www.kron.com/ San Francisco KPIX-TV-Channel 5 http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/ San Francisco KGO-TV-Channel 7 http://abclocal.go.com San Francisco KQED-Channel 9 http://www.kqed.org/ San Francisco, KNTV-Channel 11 http://www.nbcbayarea.com/ San Jose KDTV-Channel 14 http://www.univision.com/ San Francisco KOFY – TV-Channel 20 http://www.kofytv.com/ San Francisco KRCB-Channel 22 http://krcb.org/ Cotati KTSF Channel 27 http://www.ktsf.com/ San Francisco KMTP-TV Channel 32 http://www.kmtp.tv/ San Francisco KICU Channel 36 http://www.ktvu.com/ San Jose KCNS Channel 38 http://www.kcnstv.com/ San Francisco KCSM-TV-Channel 43 http://kcsm.org/ San Mateo KBCW-4Channel 4 http://cwbayarea.cbslocal.com San Francisco KSTS-Channel 48 San Jose KTEH-Channel 50 http://www.kteh.org San Jose KKPX-Channel 65 http://www.iontelevision.com/ San Jose, KFSF-Channel 66 http://www.univision.com Vallejo KTLN-TV-Channel 68 http://www.ktln.tv/ Novato
APPENDIX-14-ORGANIZATIONS OF INTEREST
California Association of Sanitation Agencies www.casaweb.org 1215 K Street Suite 940 Sacramento, CA 916-446-0388 95814 Fax 916-231-2141 Region 2- San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control 1515 Clay Street Suite 1400 Oakland, CA 510-622-2300 Board 94612 Fax 510-622-2460 California State Water Resources Control Board http://www.swrcb.org 1001 I Street Sacramento, CA 95814 916-341-5057 City of East Palo Alto City of Menlo Park County of San Mateo Local Agency formation Commission
73 | P a g e
APPENDIX 15-PUBLISHED NEWS ARTICLES ON THE DISTRICT BY PAPER AND NEWS TYPE 1994-2013 Article Title Weekly Mercury Daily Today Chronicle EPAINFO Date Board Service EPASD ADS Former District Board member surrenders to the 1 2/16/1994 1 FBI-extradition from Tennessee A Peter Evans sues to stop recall 1 3/23/1994 1 Peter Evans ousted from district 1 6/10/1994 1 Should the District be cleaned up or scrubbed 1 8/17/1994 1 altogether- uncertain future for district Roosevelt Cox Pleads not guilty-spent 1387 in 1 8/24/1994 1 public funds District's party causes fallout $900 holiday party 1 1/18/1995 1 Former Official jailed after missing trial date 1 3/12/1995 1 Sanitary board will defend Scherzer (Evans had 1 6/9/1995 1 sued Scherzer) Ex Official convicted in credit card misuse 1 8/3/1995 1 Former sewer official gets three years’ probation 1 10/13/1995 1 Kiani, Rasheed and Lincoln for Sanitary District 1 3/20/1996 1 (spend thrift image) Sanitary District: Finances are key in EPA race- 1 3/20/1996 1 highest sewer rates in the Peninsula Sanitary Official get warning-FPPC warns against 1 5/31/1996 1 Evans voting on Romic Scherzer, Becks for EPA Sanitary District Board 1 5/27/1998 1 4 vie for 2 seats on Sanitary District Panel/Sewer 1 5/28/1998 1 rates key issue in EPA District Censures board member 1 10/23/1998 1 Residents demand sewer district chief's 1 11/11/1998 1 resignation-drunken driving conviction Residents sue district for violating open meeting 1 1/6/1999 1 law- Allen McIntyre Rebate Plan is rejected 1 5/14/1999 1 Sanitary District fires Manager 1 6/16/1999 1 District candidates differ over finances 1 9/29/1999 1 Edward Ronald Becks elected to the EPASD 1 10/20/1999 1 East Palo Alto Sanitary District results 1 11/12/1999 1 Sanitary district slate sweeps 5-0 majority now in 1 11/12/1999 1 control Sewer district affirms rebates 1 12/10/1999 1 Scherzer applies for manager job 1 12/31/1999 1
74 | P a g e
Sewer District sues city, nonprofit over use permit 1 6/7/2000 1 East Palo Alto Seeks $2 million from Palo Alto 1 8/30/2000 1 Todd Gaviglio and Edrick Haggans have won 2 1 11/14/2001 1 open seats EPA Sewer officials investigated/Tape recorded 1 3/8/2002 1 voices talk about killing board Pres. Taped remarks stir up sanitary district/County 1 3/9/2002 1 probe alleged threats District Censures board member 1 3/15/2002 1 Sewer board threats deemed only "venting" No 1 3/19/2002 1 criminal charges for poor judgment Sewer Board fires Dennis Scherzer-No reasons 1 10/11/2002 1 given A long, Hard climb-Matias Varela to run for EPASD 1 3/10/2003 1 Dispute over hotel sewer fee settled-unanimously 1 6/22/2004 1 Nine candidates file for sanitary district 1 8/13/2006 1 Race called off for two local elections-EPASD 1 8/15/2007 1 incumbents elected unopposed Request for Proposals-Executive Evaluator 1 10/1/2011 1 No Drugs Down the Drain-Regional Water Quality 1 1/1/2012 1 Plant Dear Editor- EPASD Manager's Comments- 1 1/1/2012 1 Achievements 2011 Don't Dispose Used Cooking Oil or grease down 1 1/1/2012 1 the Drain Regional Water Quality Plant East Palo Sanitary District Request for Proposals - 1 4/1/2012 1 Certified Public Acc. Firm East Palo Alto Sanitary District Notice of Public 1 4/1/2012 1 Hearing-Budget-Rate Increases Walking East Palo Alto 1 6/30/2012 1 Advertisement-East Palo Alto Sanitary District 1 6/30/2012 1 Budget Summary 2012-13 Saying Goodbye to Karen Maxey 1 9/1/2012 1 Advertisement-East Palo Alto Sanitary District 1 9/1/2012 1 Budget Summary 2012-13 Sewer Board may penalize Director 1 9/2/2012 1 Sanitary board censures Colleague for being 1 9/27/2012 1 disrespectful and condescending Sanitary Board Censures Colleague 1 9/30/2012 1 Request for Proposals-Executive Evaluator 1 10/1/2012 1 East Palo Alto Sanitary Board directors pile up tax 1 10/2/2012 1 funded trips and catered meetings
75 | P a g e
Sanitary Board Piling up perks 1 10/3/2012 1 Advertisement-East Palo Alto Sanitary District 1 11/6/2012 1 Budget Summary 2012-13 EPASD description 1 12/31/2012 1 EPASD SPANISH AD 1 12/31/2012 1 EPASD ENGLISH AD 1 12/31/2012 1 East Palo Alto residents could face annual sewage 1 2/6/2013 1 rate hikes for next five years (64%) East Palo Alto Sanitary District hires new 1 3/18/2013 1 general manager TOTAL 30 5 2 12 7 3 36 5 7 11
Percentages 51% 8% 3% 20% 12% 5% 61% 8% 12% 19%
OVERALL TOTAL 59
APPENDIX:-16-COMMUNITY EVENTS Activity Event Type Month Organizing Entity Phone Martin Luther King Birthday Celebration Celebration January Community Church of East Palo Alto Martin Luther King Birthday Celebration Celebration January East Palo Alto Library T-Ball Pitching Machine Annual Fundraiser Fundraising January Ravenswood Alumni Association 408-515-7489 Black History Month Celebration Celebration February Community Church of East Palo Alto Senior Center Crab Feast Fundraising February East Palo Alto Senior Center 650-329-5900 Margaret Wright Wellness 5k Run/Walk Athletic March Girls to Women 650-326-6431 Little League Opening Day Parade Parade April Ravenswood Little League East Palo Alto Family Fun Day Festival April 1-800-Jcproject Al Julian Track and Field Meet Athletic April Kiwanis Club of East Palo Alto Embracing East Palo Alto Youth Fundraising April One East Palo Alto 650-330-7462 Reading Rainbow in the Park Educational May Stanford Alumni 415-517-8843 Cinco de Mayo Festival-Fair Fair May Comite Latino Cinco de Mayo Parade Parade May Comite Latino College Track Graduation Graduation May College Track 650-614-4875 Annual Family Awareness Night Awareness Raising May One East Palo Alto 650-330-7462
76 | P a g e
East Palo Alto Juneteenth Festival June East Palo Alto Juneteenth Committee Soul Brothers Annual Picnic Picnic June East Palo Alto Soul Brothers 650-630-1373 City of East Palo Alto Birthday Fair Fair June City of East Palo Alto 650-853-3100 City of East Palo Alto Birthday Parade Parade June City of East Palo Alto 650-853-3100 School Graduations Graduation June All Schools Community Legal Services Funders Appreciation Fundraising June Community Legal Services 650-326-6440 House Concerts Music June House of Bigger Girls (HOBG) 650-323-0334 House Concerts Music July House of Bigger Girls (HOBG) 650-323-0334 East Palo Alto Children's Day Fair August East Palo Alto Children's Day 650-324-8487 Committee National Nights Out Celebration August City of East Palo Alto 650-853-3100 Annual Block Fest Celebration August Ecumenical Hunger Program 650-323-7781 Collard Green Festival Festival August House Concerts Music August House of Bigger Girls (HOBG) 650-323-0334 House Concerts Music September House of Bigger Girls (HOBG) 650-323-0334 Community Legal Services Golf Tournament Fundraising October Community Legal Services 650-326-6440 Senior Center Elegant Tea Fundraising October East Palo Alto Senior Center 650-329-5900 Selection of City Mayor Meeting December East Palo Alto City Council 650-853-3100 OEPA Annual membership Meeting Meeting December One East Palo Alto 650-330-7462 Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe Celebration December St Francis of Assisi 650-322-2152 Christmas Tree Lighting Celebration December Four Seasons Hotel Kwanzaa Celebration Celebration December Nairobi Kwanzaa Committee
77 | P a g e
APPENDIX:-17 -EVALUATING AND SELECTING A SPOKESPERSON ETHOS:-Communication effectiveness based the qualities of the spokesperson and on the common ground shared between speaker and audience. CREDIBILITY How much of an expert is the spokesperson? How well known are his/her credentials to the audience? If expertise is high should the audience be reminded of this? If unknown, can the audience be informed of this? Does the spokesperson enunciate clearly? Does (s) he speak with dynamism and authority? Does (s) he speak calmly and reassuringly on this topic? How trustworthy will (s) he be perceived as being? Can (s) he speaks truthfully and independently about the topic? Does (s) he have any associations that are inconsistent with the organization’s image? Is (s) he available to your organization? CHARISMA How similar is (s) he to the audience? How familiar is the audience with the spokesperson? How attractive is the spokesperson to the audience? CONTROL Does the spokesperson have any moral leverage with the audience? Does the spokesperson have any power over this audience? Does the spokesperson have the willingness to use this power? Does the spokesperson have the ability to investigate this audience? Does the spokesperson have the authority to reward or punish this audience? Does the spokesperson have the authority to blame or forgive this audience?
78 | P a g e
APPENDIX:-18- DETERMINING MESSAGE APPEALS
RATIONAL APPEAL How does EPASDPReP message make a rational appeal? Does the message feature a factual proposition, a value proposition, or a policy proposition? Which of the following provide arguments for your claims: physical evidence, analogy, audience interest, comparison, context, examples, statistics, testimony and endorsements, and/or visual presentation EMOTIONAL APPEAL How does your message make an emotional appeal? Does the message feature an appeal to positive emotions or negative emotions? What is the emotion? Love, Virtue, Humor, Sex, Fear, or Guilt?
APPENDIX:-19 EAST PALO ALTO SANITARY DISTRICT VISION, MISSION, CORE VALUES AND NORMS
Vision: Recognized as an example of good government, public service and innovative leadership in the sanitary sewer services industry.
Mission: We provide safe, efficient and cost-effective sanitary sewer services to portions of East Palo Alto and Menlo Park.
Core Values: Quality Service, Commitment, Loyalty, Leadership, Vision and Clear Direction
Norms: 1. Provide accurate, factual information (vs. speculation, hearsay). 2. Once decision is made, support it (vs. complain). 3. Respect and invest your support in each other’s roles. 4. Exercise judgment that ensures quality service. 5. Provide each other with timely, accurate, complete responses and information. 6. Provide clear policy direction. 7. Represent self professionally and accurately. 8. Give quality service-driven responses. 9. Keep well informed, knowledgeable and current on district/industry issues.
79 | P a g e
It is the policy of this Board that all operations and meetings of the East Palo Alto Sanitary District be conducted in such a manner that reflects and respects the cultural diversity of the community served by the District, and that this Board shall deem any comment, or action that seeks to demean, insult, or otherwise diminish the dignity of any person based on ethnicity, language, cultural background, or national origin to be improper and intolerable in any portion of the District’s meetings or operations.
APPENDIX 20-Sources for graphics, schedules, facts or statistics
1 (gaebler.com)-Resources for entrepreneurs 1. John Dewey, cited in Smith, Ronald D. “Strategic Planning for Public Relations” Routledge, New York, 2009 2. Ronald D. Smith Strategic Planning for Public Relations, Routledge, New York, 2009 3. EVALUATION-Mark Friedman 4. Occupational Employment and Wages May 2012 5. Middleberg, D., & Ross, S.S. (2001) The Middleberg/Ross survey of media in the wired world, 2000, New York: Middleberg Euro 6. San Francisco Chronicle news archives 7. San Jose Mercury news archives 8. Palo Alto Weekly news archives 9. East Palo Alto Daily news archives 10. East Palo Alto Information 2013
80 | P a g e
APPENDIX 21 -POST PLAN SURVEY OF SERVICE USERS
Survey Text
Name ______
Address ______
Ethnicity ______Gender ______
Age Group (circle) <21 22-40 41-65 >65
How should we contact you if you win a prize?
Phone ______E-mail ______
Questions:
1) Do you Live at this address
1. Yes 2. No
2) Do you own or rent?
1. OWN 2. RENT
3) What newspapers do you subscribe to or Read every day? 1. ______4. ______2. ______5. ______3. ______6. ______4) What radio Stations does your household listen to every day: (LIST) 1. ______4. ______2. ______5. ______3. ______6. ______5) What local TV stations are watched in your home regularly? 1. ______3. ______2. ______4. ______
81 | P a g e
5. ______6. ______6) Are you active on Social media?
1. Facebook Yes No 3. Twitter Yes NO 2. Linked In Yes NO AWARENESS 7) Are you familiar with the East Palo Alto Sanitary District?
1. YES 2. NO
8) If yes which term best describes the East Palo Alto Sanitary district? (Choose One)
a. Provides the water to our home. e. The electric company b. It is the local government f. Provides free diapers c. Provides Sewer services g. Sweeps the streets d. Provides garbage collection services 9) What are the East Palo Alto Sanitary District Annual Rate Charges per residence (circle one) a) $750.00 c) $520.00 b) $700.00 d) Don’t know 10)
ACCEPTANCE 11) If yes on a scale of 1 to 5 with one very unsatisfied, 5 very satisfied please rate your feeling about the Sanitary District:
Circle: 1 2 3 4 5 ACTION 12) Have you or anybody in your household ever contacted the East Palo Alto Sanitary District for services in the last 12 months?
1. YES 2. NO ( Go to # 12)
13) If Yes, What was the contact for?
a) My property tax bill d) Utility connection b) A problem with my plumbing e) Other (Please indicate) c) A sewer back up
82 | P a g e
14) Have you or anybody in your household received any calls or visit from staff of the East Palo Alto Sanitary District in the past year?
1. YES 2. NO. (If NO proceed to #14)
15) If yes what for?
a. Ground water leaking into the sewer system b. My property’s sewer lateral c. Fats, Oil and Grease Program d. Used prescription drug elimination e. Work that the district would be doing on my street f. Other ______16) Have you received any information from the Sanitary District in the last twelve months?
a) YES b) NO (If NO proceed to #16) 17 If yes what information? Please indicate. a. Cleaning and televising my Sewer Lateral b. My sewer lateral needing repair c. Fats Oil and Grease d. Board meeting announcement e. Work on my street f. Ground water seeping into the system g. Other ______
18. In what media format? (Circle all)
a) Letter g) e-mail b) Newsletter h) web site c) Phone call i) TV d) Flyer j) Door Hanger e) Article in Newspaper or Magazine k) Personal Visit f) Radio
19) How would you prefer to receive information from the East Palo Alto Sanitary District: (Circle one or more)
a) Letter b) Newsletter
83 | P a g e
c) Phone Call h) web site TV (which stations) d) Flyer i) Personal visit e) Article in Newspaper or Magazine (if selected, j) Other (Please indicate) which publications) ______i. ______f) Radio (which stations) ______ii. ______g) e-mail iii. ______
20) Please indicate which of these statements you agree or disagree with;
a. The East Palo Alto Sanitary district should change its name. / / Agree / / Disagree b. The East Palo Alto Sanitary District is the best run public agency in the county. / / Agree / /Disagree
84 | P a g e
APPENDIX 22-East Palo Alto Sanitary District 2012 Survey Presented to the East Palo Alto Sanitary District board on January 10, 2013
Final Report
East Palo Alto Sanitary District 2012 Survey
Presented to the East Palo Alto Sanitary District board
January 10, 2013
Jatelo Productions
Meda Okelo & David Kohls
85 EPASD SURVEY FINAL REPORT |
Executive Summary
Jatelo Productions was commissioned by the East Palo Alto Sanitary District to conduct a survey of East Palo Alto Sanitary District service recipients as a first step to developing a public relations plan for the district. In its proposal to the district, Jatelo Productions suggested that the survey should include 500 individual residences and Institutions and Businesses with over 100 address locations within the district.
Survey results represented a broad spectrum of the community and are representative of the community. The survey provides clear indications of the degree to which East Palo Alto Sanitary District is appreciated as well as provides information as to the most effective means of communicating with service recipients in the district.
Key findings include:
A small percentage of the respondents have knowledge of the East Palo Alto Sanitary District.
Among those who are familiar with the East Palo Alto Sanitary District sentiment towards the district is highly favorable.
The preferred means of communication with the majority of respondents of all types is by letter.
The community generally understands the good practices by residents in the district that would ensure a good, functioning and environmentally friendly sewer system.
86 EPASD SURVEY FINAL REPORT |
Survey Objectives and Methodology
The objective of this survey was to collect responses from 500 residences and from institutions/businesses occupying at least 100 address locations.
Jatelo procured high quality lists of local businesses and institutions including telephone numbers. Institutions and businesses were surveyed using a combination of telephone and face-to-face interviews. The range of institutions/businesses surveys was very broad ranging from the largest in the city such as EQR with 33 residential communities and many rental homes or the Ravenswood School District with 6 campuses plus offices to single office businesses. A weighting scale was devised to assign greater weight to the inputs of institutions managing multiple or larger facilities.
Residential surveys were primarily collected face-to-face by trained interview teams. Each residential survey was assigned a weight of one.
To be qualified for inclusion a survey needed to be for a property verifiably in the East Palo Alto Sanitary District and be reasonably complete.
Primary objectives of this survey project were:
Quality – collect high quality data and interpret it accurately. Quantity – achieve objectives of 500 residences and 100+ institutional/business addresses. Variety – collect surveys from every area in the district and from a representative collection of institution/business types or different types of residents. Branding – conduct surveys in a highly professional manner such that the East Palo Alto Sanitary District brand is enhanced as a result of this effort. Safety – Since most surveys were collected door-to-door by local students careful attention was paid to assuring that they were safe at all times.
87 EPASD SURVEY FINAL REPORT |
Planning the survey activities
A survey plan was developed and all survey steps were laid out on a timeline against which the survey activity was executed meeting all objectives. As expected, Jatelo will be prepared to offer the final survey results presentation at the East Palo Alto Sanitary District January 2013 board meeting.
The key survey elements were:
Survey design and translation into Spanish Design and mailing of Survey Notification Post Cards Team T-shirts Recruiting and training survey teams Institutional and Commercial Surveys Residential door-to-door surveys Survey validation and data entry Awards Data analysis and report preparation
Survey Design and Translation
Based on a set of objectives the survey was designed and revised through several iterations. Before final approval commentary was sought from the East Palo Alto Sanitary District Public Relations committee. The same survey was used for both institutions/businesses and residences with the exception that institutional type was noted rather than demographic information.
Demographic information requested from residents in the district consisted of: ethnicity, gender and age.
Five types of information were collected on each survey. The survey is attached as Appendix A and discussed in great detail in the results section. A summary is offered here to reflect the design process. Some questions were deliberately asked out of order to reduce bias.
Owner vs. Renter – established the perspective of the respondent. Media habits – determined which media is used on a daily/high frequency basis
88 EPASD SURVEY FINAL REPORT |
Newspaper Radio Television Social Media Facebook Linked In Twitter Knowledge of the East Palo Alto Sanitary District Stated – do they claim to know East Palo Alto Sanitary District? Proven – test knowledge of what East Palo Alto Sanitary District is Sentiment – with East Palo Alto Sanitary District confirmed as the Sewer System manager, ask for sentiment on a 1 to 5 scale Knowledge of rates Media Preferences – determine how residents would prefer to receive information from the East Palo Alto Sanitary District Plumbing management habits and attitudes How plumbing problems are handled Attitudes towards behaviors that put strain on the sewer system
The final survey was translated into Spanish. Both Spanish and English surveys were available to door-to-door survey teams at all times. The English Version of the survey is attached to this report as Appendix A. Notification Post Cards
One week before the commencement of door-to-door surveys over 3,700 post cards were mailed to East Palo Alto Sanitary District service addresses. A mailing list was obtained from the district and culled to remove absentee landlords who would not be door-to-door survey candidates. The post cards were developed with messaging explaining and advertising the survey in both English and Spanish.
An image of the post card is attached as Appendix B. Team T-Shirts
Jatelo Productions decided to develop a distinctive T-Shirt for door-to-door survey takers for multiple reasons:
89 EPASD SURVEY FINAL REPORT |
A distinctive t-shirt identifies a survey taker as a qualified individual contributing a modicum of trust worthiness (coupled with the post card recently received) A ‘uniform’ however modest contributes to ‘esprit’ among survey takers. The t-shirt was designed to heighten visibility of survey takers, contributing to safety.
The t-shirts are good quality bright orange shirts with bold black printing. Orange and black were selected as the colors of the local world champion San Francisco Giants baseball team adding to the fun/attractiveness of the shirt. The message affirms the wearer as a survey team member.
Recruiting and Training Survey Teams
Door-to-door survey takers would, we found, be more effective if they had certain attributes: Literate, articulate and numerate Well groomed Energetic and ambitious Honest Bilingual English/Spanish – at least one in each team Local – they know these neighborhoods and are comfortable here
We recruited and hired several adults with excellent knowledge of the community. Adults provided another layer of supervisorial management and assistance to survey takers. For survey takers we recruited students from the top local high school programs since many of these students would have all of the desired attributes listed above.
We visited local high schools multiple times to recruit and eventually to provide training in group sessions: The high schools visited and recruited from included: Eastside College Preparatory School College Track East Palo Alto Phoenix Academy East Palo Alto Academy/East Palo Alto High School
School administrators enthusiastically helped us recruit students who enjoyed several benefits from working on these surveys: Professional experience
90 EPASD SURVEY FINAL REPORT |
Attractive pay Extra rewards and pay for top performers
As expected, we did have some drop outs, but in the end this opportunity was over-subscribed and we were able to select the top performing teams for the third weekend with excellent results.
Conducting the Survey
Institutional and Business Surveys
Institutional and Business Surveys were mainly conducted by telephone although some businesses such as EQR and the office towers on University Ave. were visited for face-to-face interviews. In most cases it took several calls or visits to successfully connect with the right manager and collect a survey. Institutions/Businesses with over 200 locations were contacted, surveys were collected covering about 125 locations, and weighting was adjusted to round down to 100 survey responses.
91 EPASD SURVEY FINAL REPORT |
Residential Door-to-Door Surveys
Residential Surveys were collected by teams going Door-to-Door on three sequential Saturdays: Dec 1, 8 and 15. Each weekend teams were organized to work on different streets in different neighborhoods, ultimately touching on all areas of the East Palo Alto Sanitary District. These include: Menlo Park: From Menalto and Woodland South and East East Palo Alto West of 101 on both sides of University West Bayshore to Bay East of Menalto From Bay to Michigan The Gardens Near the East Palo Alto Sanitary District Offices
All survey takers were required to wear their t-shirts at all times while taking surveys and work in teams for safety. David Kohls directed all survey activity assigning routes and driving to teams who were communicating via text message delivering supplies, water and snacks.
Ten teams worked the first two weekends after which they were paid and an award given to the top performing team. Performance was measured on the basis of most surveys completed. After tabulating results including weeding out some unacceptable surveys it was determined that more surveys were needed to reach the desired goal. The top performing students were invited back to work for another weekend. A highly effective strategy of ‘pay for performance’ resulted in excellent results from some teams despite inclement weather.
Overall, results met all objectives; quality was over 95% high. We reached quantity objectives. Diversity of respondents reflected the East Palo Alto Sanitary District in both geographic as well as demographic terms. The professionalism of teams was clear… no complaints of any kind were received from respondents. And, perhaps, most important, all students completed the surveys safely with no reported incidents.
92 EPASD SURVEY FINAL REPORT |
Survey Validation and Data Entry
Surveys were reviewed for legitimacy. A large sample size was selected to compensate for the expectation that not all survey respondents would answer every question. This proved to be the case when respondents would say ‘I don’t know’ or ‘I don’t have an opinion’ for a specific question. We accept these surveys but do not include an answer in these cases.
A data schema was designed for analysis using Microsoft Excel spread sheets and the survey data was entered.
Awards
Using random number generation, survey participants were selected to receive gift cards. In total $500 of gift cards was awarded including restaurants, shopping and movie passes. The winners were glad to win and reflected the broad demographics of the community with one institutional winner (EPA Library), one senior citizen and several mothers with large families who will certainly benefit from their restaurant or movie gift cards. All gifts were personally distributed directly to the winner’s addresses, which were also geographically spread across the East Palo Alto Sanitary District.
Data Analysis and Report Preparation
Data analysis was performed using Excel and presentation graphics were derived from the spreadsheet. Data is reported both separately and together for Institutional/Business and Residential.
Data is presented primarily in graphic form for easy interpretation. The charts and graphs are in the Results section of this document that follows as well as in a Power Point presentation prepared for the East Palo Alto Sanitary District Board.
93 EPASD SURVEY FINAL REPORT |
Results
Profile of Institutional/Business Respondents
Holders of current business licenses with current addresses in the East Palo Alto Sanitary District were invited to participate. In some cases a qualified manager was not available or they were not interested. But a broadly representative portion of the community did participate. The following list shows the participant categories and the proportional participation out of 100 surveys:
Automotive Services 3 Grocery 3 Business Services 6 Government 7 Personal Services 7 Offices 3 Retail 7 Religious Institutions 3 Schools 11 Restaurants 3 Housing Management 41 Social Services 6
In the survey results presented below Institutional and Business respondents of all types are combined and referred to as Commercial to distinguish them from Residential.
Residential Demographics
Survey takers were instructed to make a judgment call about the ethnicity of residential respondents. This was not done for commercial accounts since the respondents were speaking on behalf of an institution or business rather than on their own account. The result of our residential survey reflects the demographics of households in the area served by the East Palo Alto Sanitary District. Note that a one-person household has the same weight as a large family or multi-family residence, therefore this is not a direct representation of the population served by the district but rather of the decision makers at each distinct address.
The majority of people served by the district are clearly Hispanic. The pie chart below shows respondents whose ethnicity was identified as a percentage of the 500 residential surveys:
Ethnicity of Residential Respondents
94 EPASD SURVEY FINAL REPORT |
ETHNICITY OF RESIDENTIAL RESPONDENTS
HISPANIC- 58%
BLACK-11%
WHITE-21%
OTHER-7%
UNKNOWN-3%
Gender of respondents was also established by the survey takers. Slightly more women participated than men as shown by the chart below where the data is a percentage of the 500 respondents:
95 EPASD SURVEY FINAL REPORT |
Gender of Residential Respondents
Gender of Residential Respondents Female-52% Male-48%
Age of respondents was also based on an estimate by the survey takers during the conversation. Young adults form the largest group; the data is presented below as a percentage of the total number of respondents:
96 EPASD SURVEY FINAL REPORT |
Age of Residential Respondents
AGE OF RESIDENTIAL RESPONDENTS <21-15% 22-40-45% 41-65---27% >65-6%
UNKNOWN-7%
The survey questions were the same for both commercial and residential surveys. All results are presented using a consistent format. Residential results are presented as a percentage of respondents. In most cases this is 500 respondents, however for most of the questions about knowledge of the Sanitary District, only respondents who state that they are knowledgeable about the East Palo Sanitary District are included. Similarly, commercial results are presented as a percentage of 100 respondents except for the knowledge section. The total combines the two results to represent the whole constituency for the East Palo Alto Sanitary District. The weighing formula used reflects the size of each survey: (Residential Percentage x 5 + Commercial Percentage) / 6. Ownership
Respondents were asked whether they owned or rented/leased. As expected, Institutions/Businesses were more likely to own than rent/lease while the converse was true of residential respondents.
The exact question was:
Do you own or rent?
OWN
97 EPASD SURVEY FINAL REPORT |
RENT
98 EPASD SURVEY FINAL REPORT |
Property Ownership rates of Respondents
OWNERSHIP RATE-PERCENTAGE
RESIDENTIAL-36%
COMMERCIAL-69%
OVERALL-42%
Almost 70% of Commercial respondents own their buildings vs. about 35% of residential respondents. In aggregate about 41% of responses to this survey represent an owner’s perspective.
Percentages based on 500 residential respondents and 100 Commercial respondents.
Media Usage
All respondents were asked about frequent daily use of three media types: Print (Newspapers and Magazines), radio and TV. The objective is to determine which communications channels may be useful for the East Palo Alto Sanitary District as a means to broadcast messages. We asked commercial respondents which Media was used daily in the working environment while residential respondents were simply asked which Media they used on a daily basis. The exact format was:
What newspapers do you subscribe to or Read every day? ______
What radio Stations does your household listen to every day: (LIST)
99 EPASD SURVEY FINAL REPORT |
______
What local TV stations are watched in your home regularly? ______
As one might expect, media use of all types is higher in residential environments. Print is most popular for Commercial; radio is the leader for both Residential and total.
Media Usage 70%
60%
50%
40% PRINT
30% RADIO TV 20%
10%
0% Residential Commercial Overall
Percentages based on 500 residential respondents and 100 Commercial respondents.
Although fewer than 25% of survey respondents read any local newspaper daily, those that do are reading a wide variety of different newspapers. The top 8 account for about 70% of the local newspapers read. The most popular is the SJ Mercury which is read by 28% of those who read newspapers daily or about 7% of all respondents.
100 EPASD SURVEY FINAL REPORT |
Newspaper Readership of Respondents
El Mensajero S. M. Times Palo Alto Post Palo Alto Weekly EPA Today Series1 SF Chronicle
NewspapersRead Daily Daily News SJ Mercury
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%
Daily radio listening is even less concentrated although the popularity of radio is much higher than print among residential respondents. Four of the top radio stations are Spanish including the most popular, 94.9. Radio Preferences of Respondents
105.7 FM 100.3 FM 99.7 FM 89 FM 98.9 FM Series1
93.3 FM Radio Preferences 106.1 FM 94.9 FM
0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 14% 16%
TV station preferences essentially mirror radio with several Spanish stations among the most popular.
101 EPASD SURVEY FINAL REPORT |
Television Station Preferences
KQED 9
NBC 4
CBS 5
ABC 7 Series1 Telemundo 48
Fox 2 Most Popular TVStations Univision 14
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%
Social Media Usage
Respondents were asked if they used Social Media in the form of Facebook, Linked In or Twitter on a regular basis. Respondents who stated that they have an account but rarely use it were treated as non-users. The format of our question was: Are you active on Social media?
Facebook Yes No Linked In Yes NO Twitter Yes NO
What were the results? Facebook is the most popular form of social media in this community by a wide margin.
Social Media Usage
102 EPASD SURVEY FINAL REPORT |
Overall
Twitter Commercial Linked In Facebook
Residential
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Percentages based on 500 residential respondents and 100 Commercial respondents. Familiarity with the East Palo Alto Sanitary District
Respondents were asked a series of questions to determine their degree of familiarity and experience with the East Palo Alto Sanitary District. First they were simply asked if they were Familiar with the district:
Are you familiar with the East Palo Alto Sanitary District? YES NO
Responses showed that commercial respondents have a higher degree of understanding of the district than residential respondents.
Those who answered yes were asked another question to demonstrate their true familiarity with the district and only those who chose answer ‘C’ to this question were deemed to actually be familiar with the East Palo Alto Sanitary District.
If yes which term best describes the East Palo Alto Sanitary district? (Choose One)
Provides the water to our home
103 EPASD SURVEY FINAL REPORT |
It is the local government Provides Sewer services Provides garbage collection services The electric company Provides free diapers Sweeps the streets
The results show that although 38% of residential respondents stated that they were familiar with the East Palo Alto Sanitary District only 26.2% correctly identified it as the manager of the Sewer System, a 12% false positive rate. On the other hand among commercial respondents 77% stated that they know the East Palo Alto Sanitary District and only 2% could not correctly identify it.
“Knowledge of the East Palo Alto Sanitary District”17
Overall
Commercial Proven Stated
Residential
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
Analyzing the incorrect responses suggests that most of those who did not correctly identify the East Palo Alto Sanitary District as the sewer service manager either simply picked the first answer on the list (i.e. really had no clue) or associated sewer with water. In any case, some education is needed
17 Percentages based on 500 residential respondents and 100 weighted Commercial respondents.
104 EPASD SURVEY FINAL REPORT | for almost three quarters of residential service recipients and a quarter of commercial service recipients. The percentage of respondents who selected wrong answers is in the following chart: Understanding of the role of EPASD
Sweep Streets
Free Diapers MIS-UNDERSTANDING ROLE OF Electric EPASD TOTAL MIS-UNDERSTANDING ROLE OF Garbage EPASD COMMERCIAL
MIS-UNDERSTANDING ROLE OF City EPASD RESIDENTIAL
Water
0.0% 1.0% 2.0% 3.0% 4.0% 5.0%
Percentages based on 500 residential respondents and 100 Commercial respondents. For all who stated that they knew the East Palo Alto Sanitary District (including those who mis-identified the district), further questions were asked to determine sentiment about the district and to identify any direct contact with the district in the past year.
Survey takers at this point confirmed that the survey was on behalf of the institution providing sewer services to their location. They were then asked to rate their sentiment towards the East Palo Alto Sanitary District on a scale of 1 to 5. The question format was:
If yes on a scale of 1 to 5 with one very unsatisfied, 5 very satisfied please rate your feeling about the Sanitary District:
Circle: 1 2 3 4 5
105 EPASD SURVEY FINAL REPORT |
Responses show a high degree of favorable sentiment towards the East Palo Alto Sanitary District. Data for residential respondents is as a percentage of the 190 respondents who stated that they were familiar with the East Palo Alto Sanitary District. Data for the commercial respondents is as a percentage of the 75 respondents who stated that they were familiar with the East Palo Alto Sanitary District. The total data weights the residential data as 5/6 of the whole vs. 1/6 for commercial to be consistent with other data presented in this survey.
Sentiments towards EPASD
No Response
(Very satisfied) 5
(Satisfied) 4 SENTIMENT ABOUT EPASD TOTAL
SENTIMENT ABOUT EPASD COMMERCIAL (So -So) 3 SENTIMENT ABOUT EPASD RESIDENTIAL (Unsatisfied) 2
(Very unsatisfied)1
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%
Percentages based on 190 residential respondents and 75 Commercial respondents. Total is computed using total survey size weighting where residential is 5/6 and commercial is 1/6.
All respondents who had stated that they knew the East Palo Alto Sanitary District were asked three more questions about their familiarity with the district. These questions determined what interaction they recalled with the East Palo Alto Sanitary District in the last 12 months. The questions were:
Have you or anybody in your household ever called the East Palo Alto Sanitary District for services in the last 12 months?
106 EPASD SURVEY FINAL REPORT |
YES NO (Go to # 12)
If Yes, What was the call for?
My property tax bill Utility connection A problem with my plumbing Other (Please indicate) A sewer back up
Have you or anybody in your household received any calls or visit from staff of the East Palo Alto Sanitary District in the past year?
YES NO. (If NO proceed to #14)
If yes what for?
Ground water leaking into the sewer system Work that the district would be doing on my street Other ______
Have you received any information from the Sanitary District in the last twelve months?
YES NO (If NO proceed to #16)
In what media format? (Circle all)
Letter Newsletter Phone call Flyer
107 EPASD SURVEY FINAL REPORT |
Article in Newspaper or Magazine Radio E-mail Web site TV Recent Contact with EPASD
Total
MEDIA Commercial CALL
SERVICE
Residential
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%
Percentages based on 500 residential respondents and 100 Commercial respondents.
In identifying specific types of contact with the East Palo Alto Sanitary District respondents were encouraged to identify all that apply. Therefore a single response could correspond with several different types of contact. The commercial data is heavily skewed by the fact the EQR properties which owns 33 apartment communities and many single family homes in the district received notices related to work on the street in front of a few of their properties.
108 EPASD SURVEY FINAL REPORT |
Total service calls reported were:
Residential Commercial Tax Bill 1 Plumbing Problem 15 Sewer Back Up 11 1 Utility connection 4 2
Other miscellaneous services included a flood and roots growing.
The total calls or visits by Sanitary District Staff reported (including commercial weighting) were:
Residential Commercial Ground water leak 5 Work on my street 2 30
Other miscellaneous calls include commercial entities providing services to the East Palo Alto Sanitary District and follow-up on service calls.
Total media communications from the East Palo Alto Sanitary District in the past year were:
Residential Commercial Letter 22 1 Newsletter 6 1 Call 3 Flyer 17 2 Article In Local Newspaper 2 Radio 2 E-mail 1 EPASD Web Site TV 1
109 EPASD SURVEY FINAL REPORT |
The East Palo Alto Sanitary District did not issue any Flyers or Newsletters over the past year so these responses may reflect confusion with a different local institution. Similarly, it is unclear what information about East Palo Alto Sanitary District may have appeared on local radio or television. They may refer to local news references.
The articles referenced are likely references to those developed and posted for the East Palo Alto Sanitary District to local newspaper as well as articles that have appeared on the Palo Alto Daily regarding recent actions taken by the board as well as other articles about district affairs.
Later in the survey respondents were asked another question related to their knowledge about the East Palo Alto Sanitary District. When asked if they knew EPASD annual rates per residence the vast majority of all respondents had no idea. The question asked was:
What are the East Palo Alto Sanitary District Annual Rate Charges per residence (circle one) $750.00 $700.00 $520.00 Don’t know
The responses reflect low visibility for East Palo Alto Sanitary District rates; most respondents didn’t know or correctly identify the annual rates. Although rate choices for commercial lots were not listed, commercial respondents also lacked knowledge about these rates.
Of the 15 residential respondents who selected a rate, 13 were property owners while two were renters. Of the 9 respondents who correctly stated the annual rate of $520, 8 were owners and 1 was a renter. In all only 8 of 189 residential property owners (about 4%) and no commercial property owners actually knew the East Palo Alto Sanitary district rates.
110 EPASD SURVEY FINAL REPORT |
Weighted Knowledge of District Rates
Don’t-know
Know Series1
0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25
Percentages based on 500 residential respondents and 100 Commercial respondents. Preferred Media for Communications from East Palo Alto Sanitary District
We asked all respondents how they would want to receive information from the East Palo Alto Sanitary District. Set up for this question included reinforcing the fact that East Palo Alto Sanitary District manages the sewers. The question used was:
How would you prefer to receive information from the East Palo Alto Sanitary District: (Circle one or more)
Letter Newsletter Phone Call Flyer Article in Newspaper or Magazine (if selected, which publications) ______
111 EPASD SURVEY FINAL REPORT |
Radio (which stations) ______E-mail Web site TV (which stations) ______
Respondents were encouraged to select as many media formats as they liked. For each format they were asked to indicate whether it was preferred with Yes or No. The results reflect all of the ‘Yes’ selections.
Survey results overwhelmingly indicated a preference for communication by letter.
Media Preferences
TV
Radio
Article
Web Site MEDIA PREFERENCES TOTAL e-mail MEDIA PREFERENCES COMMERCIAL Flyer MEDIA PREFERENCES RESIDENTIAL Call
Newsletter
Letter
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Percentages based on 500 residential respondents and 100 Commercial respondents.
112 EPASD SURVEY FINAL REPORT |
Although mass media is widely used in the community, it is not preferred as a means of receiving information. Only letters received more than 50% preference for both residential and commercial. Flyers and phone calls come in a distant second. For respondents communications by rank preference was as follows:
113 EPASD SURVEY FINAL REPORT |
Residential Commercial Entire District 1 Letter Letter Letter 2 Flyer Phone Call Flyer 3 Telephone call Newsletter Telephone Call 4 E-mail Website Newsletter 5 Newsletter E-mail E-mail 6 Television Flyer Website 7 Article in a newspaper/magazine TV TV 8 Website Article in a Newspaper Article in a Newspaper 9 Radio Radio Radio
Plumbing management
The final section of the survey sought to identify how people manage their plumbing and to determine attitudes towards some of the behaviors that are known problems for the East Palo Alto Sanitary District. The first question was how they handle plumbing problems.
When you have a plumbing problem (Check all appropriate)
I fix it myself I call a neighbor Apartment Manager I call a plumber I call the City I call BFI I call Recology Other______
Respondents were asked each option individually and asked to select all approaches they use.
114 EPASD SURVEY FINAL REPORT |
Call Recology
Call BFI HANDLING PLUMBING PROBLEMS TOTAL
Call City
Call HANDLING PLUMBING PROBLEMS COMMERCIAL Plumber
Call Manager HANDLING PLUMBING PROBLEMS RESIDENTIAL Call Neighbor
Fix it myself
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
This set of responses is predictably multi-modal. Large organization such as the school district or EQR have both own their own property and have sophisticated maintenance departments. Therefore, Call the manager is not an option they would ever select. Alternatively commercial lessors and apartment renters will often select ‘call the manager’ as the only response.
The East Palo Alto Sanitary District has identified several important behavioral problems that affect the sewer services and increase costs. These include: Prescription drugs in sewers which can affect the water supply and local fauna. Used cooking oil which clogs laterals and sewers Diapers which clog laterals and sewers
115 | P a g e
Trees planted over sewer lines leading to damage from roots and challenges accessing the lines for maintenance.
We created a set of questions to determine if people know that these practices are a problem. Respondents were asked to agree or disagree with each of these statements.
Please indicate which of these statements you agree or disagree with;
Flushing prescription drugs down the toilet is the best way to get rid of unused drugs AGREE DISAGREE Flushing used cooking oil down the toilet is the most efficient way of getting rid of it AGREE DISAGREE Flushing baby and adult diapers down the toilet is the best way to get rid of them AGREE DISAGREE A property owner should plant trees anywhere on their property AGREE DISAGREE
Results suggest that the community is broadly knowledgeable about the undesirability of these behaviors.
A majority of all respondents disagree with all of the statements. For the questions related to putting improper items into the sewers, over 90% disagreed, i.e. responded appropriately. On the other hand, more than a third did indicate that property owners should have freedom to plant trees anywhere on their own property.
116 | P a g e
Behavior Attitudes
Trees
Diapers BEHAVIOR ATTITUDES-AGREE TOTAL
BEHAVIOR ATTITUDES-AGREE Cooking Oil COMMERCIAL
Prescription Drugs
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%
117 | P a g e
Appendix A: The English Language Survey
Survey Text
Hello, My Name is ______and this is ______we are conducting a survey for the East Palo Alto Sanitary district.
We would like for you to participate in the survey so that the district can serve you better.
All survey participants will be eligible to win a gift card. Do you live at this address? (If not they are ineligible, move on) Do you have a few minutes to participate?
Name ______
Address ______
Ethnicity ______Gender ______
Age Group (circle) <21 22-40 41-65 >65
How should we contact you if you win a prize?
Phone ______E-mail ______
Questions:
Do you own or rent?
OWN RENT
118 | P a g e
What newspapers do you subscribe to or Read every day? ______
What radio Stations does your household listen to every day: (LIST) ______
What local TV stations are watched in your home regularly? ______
Are you active on Social media?
Facebook Yes No Twitter Yes NO Linked In Yes NO
Are you familiar with the East Palo Alto Sanitary District?
YES NO If yes which term best describes the East Palo Alto Sanitary district? (Choose One)
Provides the water to our home The electric company It is the local government Provides free diapers Provides Sewer services Sweeps the streets Provides garbage collection services
If yes on a scale of 1 to 5 with one very unsatisfied, 5 very satisfied please rate your feeling about the Sanitary District:
Circle: 1 2 3 4 5
Have you or anybody in your household ever called the East Palo Alto Sanitary District for services in the last 12 months?
119 | P a g e
YES NO (Go to # 12)
If Yes, What was the call for?
My property tax bill Utility connection A problem with my plumbing Other (Please indicate) A sewer back up
Have you or anybody in your household received any calls or visit from staff of the East Palo Alto Sanitary District in the past year?
YES NO. (If NO proceed to #14)
If yes what for?
Ground water leaking into the sewer system Work that the district would be doing on my street Other ______Have you received any information from the Sanitary District in the last twelve months?
YES NO (If NO proceed to #16)
In what media format? (Circle all)
Letter Article in Newspaper or Magazine Newsletter Radio Phone call E-mail Flyer Web site
120 | P a g e
TV How would you prefer to receive information from the East Palo Alto Sanitary District: (Circle one or more)
Letter Radio (which stations) ______Newsletter E-mail Phone Call Web site Flyer TV (which stations) Article in Newspaper or Magazine (if selected, which ______publications) ______
What are the East Palo Alto Sanitary District Annual Rate Charges per residence (circle one) $750.00 $520.00 $700.00 Don’t know When you have a plumbing problem (Check all appropriate) I fix it myself I call the City I call a neighbor I call BFI Apartment Manager I call Recology I call a plumber Other______
Please indicate which of these statements you agree or disagree with;
Flushing prescription drugs down the toilet is the best way to get rid of unused drugs AGREE DISAGREE Flushing used cooking oil down the toilet is the most efficient way of getting rid of it AGREE DISAGREE Flushing baby and adult diapers down the toilet is the best way to get rid of them AGREE DISAGREE A property owner should plant trees anywhere on their property AGREE DISAGREE
Notes:
121 | P a g e
Appendix B Spanish Language Survey Encuesta Texto
Hola, mi nombre es ______y el/ella es ______estamos llevando a cabo una encuesta para el Distrito Sanitario de East Palo Alto. Queremos que usted participe en la encuesta para que el distrito pueda servirle mejor. Todos los participantes de la encuesta serán elegibles para ganar una tarjeta de regalo. ¿Vive usted en esta dirección? ¿Tiene unos minutos para participar? Nombre ______Dirección ______Raza ______Sexo Grupo de edad (círculo) <21 22-40 41-65> 65 ¿Cómo lo/la podemos contactar si usted gana un premio? Teléfono ______E-mail ______
Preguntas:
1) ¿Es dueño o alquila? a) Dueno b) Renta
2) ¿A qué periódicos se suscribe o lee todos los días? a) ______
3) ¿Qué estaciones de radio escucha en su casa todos los días?: (LISTA) a) ______
4) ¿Qué canales de televisión locales se ven en su casa regularmente? a) ______
122 | P a g e
5) ¿Está activo en las redes sociales? a) Facebook Sí No b) Linked In Sí NO c) Twitter Si No
6) ¿Está familiarizado con el Distrito Sanitario de East Palo Alto? a) SÍ b) NO
7) (En caso afirmativo), ¿Que mejor frase describe al Distrito Sanitario de East Palo Alto? (Escoja uno) a. Proporciona el agua a nuestra casa. basura b. Es el gobierno local e. La compañía eléctrica c. Proporciona servicios de alcantarillado f. Proporciona pañales gratis d. Proporciona servicios de recolección de g. Barre las calles
8) Si es en una escala de 1 a 5 con un muy insatisfecho, 5 muy satisfecho por favor califique su sensación sobre el Distrito Sanitario: Círculo: 1 2 3 4 5
9) ¿Usted o alguien en su hogar ha llamado al Distrito Sanitario de East Palo Alto para servicios en los últimos 12 meses? a) SÍ b) NO (Vaya al # 12)
10) (En caso afirmativo), ¿Cuál fue la razon? a) Recibi el recibo de los impuestos de d) Conexión de tuberías propiedad e) Otro (indicar) ______b) Un problema con mi plomería c) Inundación
11) ¿Usted o alguien en su familia ha recibido una llamada o visita del personal del Distrito Sanitario East Palo Alto en el último año? a) SÍ
123 | P a g e b) NO. (En caso negativo proceder a # 14) 12) (Si es así) ¿por qué? a. El agua subterránea se escapa en el sistema de alcantarillado b. Por trabajos que el distrito estaría haciendo en mi calle c. Otro ______13) ¿Ha recibido alguna información de la Distrito Sanitario de East Palo Alto en los últimos doce meses? a) SÍ b) NO (En caso negativo proceder a # 16) 14) ¿Qué recibió? (Marque todos) a) Carta f) Radio b) Boletín de noticias g) El correo electrónico c) Llamada telefónica h) Sitio en la red electrónica d) Volante i) TV e) Artículo en periódico o revista
15) ¿Cómo prefiere recibir información de la Distrito Sanitario de East Palo Alto: (Marque uno o más) a) Correspondencia ______b) Boletín de noticias f) Radio (que estaciones) ______c) Llamada telefónica g) el correo electrónico d) Volante h) TV (que estaciones) e) Artículo en periódico o revista (si i. ______seleccionado, cuales publicaciones) h) Sitio en la red electrónica
16) ¿Cuáles son los gastos anuales del Distrito Sanitario de East Palo Alto por su casa (marque uno) a) $ 750.00 c) $ 520.00 b) $ 700.00 d) No sabe
17) Cuando usted tiene un problema de plomería (Marque todas las medidas) a. Lo arreglo yo solo c. Llamo al manejador b. Llamo a un vecino d. Llamo a un plomero
124 | P a g e e. Llamo a la Ciudad g. Llamo al Recology f. Llamo al BFI h. Otro______
18) Indique cuál de estas afirmaciones está de acuerdo o en desacuerdo; a) Tirando medicamentos recetados por el inodoro/lavamanos es la mejor manera de deshacerse de los medicamentos no utilizados. ACUERDO EN DESACUERDO b) Tirar el aceite de cocina usado por el inodoro/lavamanos es la forma más eficaz de deshacerse de él. ACUERDO EN DESACUERDO c) Tirar pañales por el inodoro/lavamanos es la mejor manera de deshacerse de ellos. ACUERDO EN DESACUERDO d) Un propietario debe plantar árboles en cualquier parte de su propiedad. ACUERDO EN DESACUERDO
Muchas gracias por su tiempo.
Appendix C Notification Post Card
125 | P a g e
126 EPASDPReP
Appendix D Unsolicited Comments by Respondents
The gutters flood every time it rains – Bay Road Business Owner The district does not have accurate maps of where its pipes are located – Institutional Bay Road recent service recipient Rates are too high, the Sanitary District spends too much on frivolous trips for staff and board – O’Keefe residential owner Pay more attention to Poplar – residential renter on Poplar Communicate in Spanish – residential renters on Ralmar and Newell District should clean laterals, they no longer do – residential owner on Beech Not responsive to complaints – Residential Owner on Abelia Spend too much money on perks – Residential owner on Menalto Rates higher than other districts, pay directors too much – Residential owner on Menalto Doesn’t want info from EPASD – Residential owner on O’Keefe Need better mapping of system and to provide set back info to owners – Residential owners on Green
127 EPASDPReP
Appendix–E-Survey Pictures Training at College Track
Training Session at Eastside College Preparatory School
Group picture of survey takers
128 EPASDPReP