Blog note: this article references a four-year-old grand jury report.
Fran Pollard moved to El Granada in 1971 to raise her family near a nature preserve. She was in for a rude awakening when a neighbor dropped by and told them their natural sanctuary was destined to be developed into restaurants, boutiques and housing for a new city of 180,000 people.
Despite no prior experience in local politics, Pollard and her husband leapt to action. She and others who joined the “Save the Coast” movement helped pave the way for the formation of the California Coastal Commission, and secured policies that have since protected the shoreline throughout the state.
“It’s quite a story. When I finished, I could hardly believe it myself,” the self-proclaimed El Granada activist said.
Pollard’s story is not unique. Many initiatives that shape local government in the United States start with its citizens. But the number of people who get involved is far less than those who don’t. Nationally, about 76 percent of people reported they did not attend any public meetings during the 12 months that preceded a survey published by the National Research Center in 2014. More than 80 percent reported they hadn’t contacted their elected officials to express their opinions.
The groups that reported the highest frequency of public meeting attendance or contacted elected officials were 65 to 74 years old, and/or had household incomes of $150,000 or more.
For better or for worse, those who have their opinions heard might call the shots for those who don’t.
Right now, the Pescadero Municipal Advisory Council has 13 seats. Six are filled. Only three people attended a recent Midcoast Community Council study session. La Honda-Pescadero Elementary School Board member Andy Wilson said that he’s wrapping up his third term, and that he’s only been in a contested election once.
“Quite frankly, I feel like the community is not well served when so few people are interested in what the local government does that we have uncontested elections,” Wilson said, adding that it deprives people the opportunity to make critical choices about the issues that matter to them.
Not having time or adequate information seem to be key issues for people who would otherwise get involved in local government.
“Often when people have a problem, they don’t know where to go,” Midcoast Community Council member Brandon Kwan said.
That’s in part due to the nature of the Coastside. Some find the non-centralized agencies that govern the unincorporated coast to be confusing. There are separate water and sanitary districts, fire districts, county government bodies, state government bodies — all of which affect Coastsiders’ lives. Which do you turn to for which issue?
“There’s confusion on boundaries,” Kwan said. “Many people are unaware of them. Navigating these local jurisdictions has been quite a journey for me.”
The Midcoast Community Council recently prepared materials in hopes of explaining some of these oddities.
One recent presentation shed light on district boundaries, the services that each provides, relevant governing regulations and decision-making bodies. Another presentation delved into another hot topic — land use and the development approval process.
A third is scheduled for 7 p.m. today in the third-floor meeting room at 504 Avenue Alhambra in El Granada. At that time, the council will share resources that delve into transportation planning and projects.
All these presentations are available on the council website at www.midcoastcommunitycouncil.org.
The attendance rate for the first session was not as high as council members had hoped, but Councilmember Lisa Ketcham said she wasn’t discouraged.
“I think of these as a living document, so as people realize, ‘I need to know more,’ they can quickly find that resource,” Ketcham said of the council’s online resources.
The Midcoast Community Council has long embraced its website and other online platforms to increase accessibility to public resources. It’s especially useful for people who can’t attend meetings. Other local agencies have made strides to do the same, especially since a San Mateo County civil grand jury report urged them to strive for greater transparency in 2014.
Still, there’s something to be said for attending a meeting and having a conversation face-to-face.
“The first thing that comes to mind is to attend the meetings and comment about how you feel about different things,” Granada Community Services District Assistant General Manager Delia Comito said. “People get so busy in their personal lives. I understand that. They think that one comment won’t make a difference. If everyone thought that way, no one would get involved. It’s important that everyone speaks their mind to government agencies about what’s important to them, instead of letting it pass by.”
That’s not practical for everyone. Some government authorities in Park City, Utah, have tried to get inventive in bringing public meetings to school lunchrooms, performing arts centers and local homeowners associations, according to Governing Magazine.
“Connecting with these groups of residents requires stepping outside of city hall and meeting residents on their own turf,” wrote Mike Maciag, the magazine’s data editor.
Pescadero Municipal Advisory Councilmember Nic Erridge is one individual who made the effort to show up at a council meeting, and then another and another.
“I joined PMAC because I wanted to get involved in crafting solutions for my community — not to dictate, but to get input and learn about the community. It’s a great way to learn about different people and perspectives. I had many set opinions about the way things should be, but my opinions changed based on the opinions of the people who had lived here a long time.”
There are options to get involved if it’s too difficult to physically attend a meeting, Erridge added.
“Read the newspaper, go online, ask friends, ask neighbors and talk about issues. If you’re concerned, reach out and start asking questions,” Erridge said. “Reach out to your local community council. If there isn’t one, start one.”
That’s how the Latino Advisory Council of Half Moon Bay came to be, member Enrique Bazan said. People were prompted to organize after the death of Moonridge Apartments resident Yanira Serrano, which some members of the community attributed to police misconduct.
“That motivated us to say, ‘This is getting out of control.’ Especially when that happened, the Latino community stopped trusting the police,” Bazan said.
People attended a Half Moon Bay City Council meeting and voiced their concerns. Because of their remarks, former council member Rick Kowalczyk invited them to have conversations with him.
“That helped us,” Bazan said. “When he invited us, that forced us to meet formally, and also to understand how things work in the city. (Now) we can transform this tragedy into something we want to work toward, so no other family has to live through this again. We can work with police, with the city council, with the school board. We’ll do the best we can just to influence the construction of our own Half Moon Bay for the benefit of everyone.”
The group continues to meet, discussing such issues as health care, cultural work, cannabis regulations and other issues. Up to 15 people attend at any given time, but all are welcome so long as they’re invested in exploring both the emotional and practical sides of issues.
“It’s everyone who wants to be involved. It’s a key component of Latino culture: The heart comes first,” Bazan said.
Fran Pollard first put her heart in Coastside politics 46 years ago. She’s still involved because there’s still work to be done. “The battle goes on,” Pollard said. “Don’t be afraid. Start going to meetings and start speaking up. In the beginning you may be nervous and scared to say anything, but if you push yourself to speak up or at least attend even if you don’t speak at first, that helps to get an audience. When you can, then speak up. You’ll overcome your fear — and maybe you’ll accomplish something.”
July 11, 2018
Half Moon Bay Review
By Sara Hayden
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