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::::\ THRESHOLD2009 '. ..' ..-..... ,....".. $en Ma.o County -.- Summary Report to Redwood City Council, November 9, 2009 58 Page 1 Redwood City Community Conversations August 2009 Summarv In partnership with the City of Redwood City, Threshold 2009 conducted a series offour community conversations in August on housing issues in San Mateo County. Following a project in 2008 that engaged more than 1,000 citizens in dialogue about San Mateo County's housing future, Threshold has sought in 2009 to help local governments use similar practices of civic engagement. With a demonstrated commitment to community building, Redwood City has been a leader in exploring effective ways to involve the public in important decisions. The partnership between Threshold and the City was intended to provide the community with an opportunity to become more informed on critical housing issues, and to strengthen the City's capacity to engage the community going forward. With support from Redwood City staff, Threshold conducted four Community Conversations about how San Mateo County should grow and how decisions about housing should be made. In preparation for the public dialogues, Threshold trained community members to facilitate the dialogues (and the first dialogue was conducted among facilitators as part of the training). All four meetings were held in Redwood City during August 2009. The facilitator training was held at City Hall, and the three public dialogues were conducted at the Veterans Memorial Senior Center, Fair Oaks Community Center, and Redwood City Downtown Library. The content, questions, background information, and format of the dialogues were similar to those piloted by Threshold in its 2008 Community Conversations. During 3-hour meetings consisting primarily of facilitated small group dialogue, participants addressed questions about housing and land use at a countywide level, focusing on long-term alternatives. While participants were free to reframe the policy choices presented to them, the prepared briefing materials did concentrate on Redwood City or reference any local plans or projects. The project offers several deliverables and opportunities. First, the dialogues provide policymakers with a snapshot of citizens' views on important issues when they have a chance to consider carefully the tradeoffs of different choices. Second, the citizens who took the time to participate in the dialogues represent an informed cross-section of the public who can be invited to participate further in city decision-making processes. Third, the trained facilitators are a valuable resource for the city, strengthening its capacity to continue engaging the public in dialogue. Finally, Threshold will conduct a workshop with City staff to identify the core principles and implementation practices of the Community Conversations, allowing the City to use the method as part of its public outreach for decision-making on housing and other issues. This report summarizes the main fmdings from the individual participant surveys and small group comments at the four dialogues in August. It also briefly summarizes the methods of participant recruitment. Following the Council presentation, Threshold will submit a more detailed final report covering the design of the dialogues, analysis of who participated and what they said, and lessons learned from recruitment and implementation. Among other things, the final report will acknowledge by name and affiliation the numerous community members and city staffwho generously contributed their time to make this project a success. 1