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Livable Communities Newsletter
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Welcome to Our Winter 2021 Livable Communities Newsletter
As we recognized last quarter, COVID-19 is not only still with us, but it also casts a shadow over everything we think we know, including our understanding of the 3 Es that are the foundation of the Ventura County Civic Alliance: Economy, Environment, and Equity.
Therefore, it is still fitting that this quarter’s Livable Communities Newsletter explores different aspects of the 3 Es and Livable Communities in a COVID-19 world:
1. Economy: The COVID-19 world has accelerated the melting /deconstruction of jobs into elements of work. We are seeing work without jobs . There is a pivot to new type of work that utilizes skills found both within and beyond the confines of a current job description with a new emphasis on capabilities. Even gig work can develop within the walls of an existing employer. This job melting/deconstruction addresses the power of the whole person with a focus on skills not on a job.
2. Environment: The purpose of an Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) program is to integrate planning and implementation efforts and to facilitate regional cooperation with the goal of improving water supply reliability, water recycling, water conservation, recreation and access, flood control, wetlands enhancement and creation, and environmental and habitat protection.
3. Equity: Today, 1 in 6 people in Ventura County is struggling with food insecurity. Those effected are our friends and neighbors. Concerns about job security, health issues, and the increasing cost of living affect everyone within every socioeconomic class, race, age group, and gender. Children suffer along with families and seniors having trouble making ends meet. Food Share answers the call for help with dignity and respect. The people being served want to work hard to get ahead, and Food Share continues to help all of them.
Thanks,
Stacy Roscoe |
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Economic Recovery After COVID-19: The Future of Work
VCEDA Virtual Keynote, January 15, 2021, by Dr. John Boudreau, Senior Research Scientist and Professor Emeritus Center for Effective Organizations USC Marshall School of Business. This presentation is summarized for the Livable Communities Newsletter by Stacy A. Roscoe.
Dr. Boudreau presented a fascinating look at how focusing on work rather than jobs during the pandemic is generating tremendous results. Employers usually bundle work into jobs for employees. The COVID-19 world has been accelerating the melting /deconstruction of jobs into elements of work. We are seeing work without jobs . There is a pivot to new type of work that utilizes skills found both within and beyond the confines of a current job description with a new emphasis on capabilities. Even gig work can develop within the walls of an existing employer. This job melting/deconstruction addresses the power of the whole person with a focus on skills not on a job.
Fluid Employment: Examples of Deconstructed and Reinvented Jobs
A furniture cushion maker transformed in less than a month to make over 1,000 gowns and 700 face shields per day.
Another company created immediate capacity to manufacture face masks, designed an end-to-end production line, sourced and repurposed supplies, and transformed a clean room into a mask factory in only six days. The traditional writing of job descriptions and formal training systems were not needed!
Fluid Employment: Inside Gigs
Employees can work on projects for a small or large proportion of time, increase the depth of their expertise in a current skill, or build new skills and experiences.
As an example of moving from job to work, Disney posted a need for a voiceover in a new movie trailer. A Disney employee, with a job as an accountant, responded, and was ultimately selected as the best candidate to take on this gig work while still maintaining his job as an accountant.
Some companies have created a bigger gig economy for employees to open up more fluid careers, work arrangements and development. A talent marketplace has developed which allows individuals to find short term stretch assignments or longer term rotation assignments aligned to their interests.
Fluid Employment: Work Automation
Job melting also includes elements that can be automated. Often, automation frees workers to work at the top of their skill range instead of doing work that can easily be covered another way. Here are some examples:
A robot rolls into a treatment room to allow health care workers to remotely take temperatures and measure blood pressure and oxygen saturation from patients hooked up to a ventilator.
Another robot travels throughout a hospital disinfecting with ultraviolet light.
A cart-like robot brings food to people quarantined in a 16-story hotel.
Fluid Work Boundaries: Tapping New Worker Sources
People with skills can work even if there is not a full time job available.
A sock making company pivoted to making one million face masks per week by attracting 16-20 year-olds not yet in the labor market. They used those skill sets that they already had, and applied them in new ways.
A company borrowed furloughed employees from another company for 30 days.
A university’s center for industrial research and service enabled two companies located 200 miles apart to collaborate in making 100,000 face shields per week.
Guiding Future Work With Policies
Despite the efficiencies generated, many challenges exist with this rapidly evolving deconstruction of jobs, and appropriate policies must be in place to properly manage this. Policies are rules that define decisions. Different businesses are setting radically different policies. A key task is to figure out how the divergent policies such as those below can be workable in the future:
Employees could “work from home forever.”
Employees are expected to gradually return to the office to avoid what corporate leadership believes will be lasting damage if workers don’t return.
Work-from-home policies are extended by a year, while leadership completes planning to accommodate remote work indefinitely.
Employees are offered the option of working from home up to no more than 50% of the time without seeking approval.
Sources of Future Work Policies:
* Fads (What are the most notable CEO’s or companies doing?)
* Fashions (What are the most common policies among our peers?)
* Favorability (What are most popular policies among our leaders, managers, and employees?)
* Fairness/Consistency (What can be applied to everyone?)
* Function (What policies are required by functional compliance with IT, Legal, HR, Security, Facilities, Safety, Health. etc.?)
How Should Leadership Change To Encompass Fluid Work and Boundaries? Focus on:
* Leader Traits (Learning Agility, Self-Awareness, Self- Confidence, Courage)
* Leader Behaviors (Empathy, Vulnerability, Communication, Learning)
* Work Outcomes (Trust, Engagement, Openness, Resilience)
* Strategic Goals (Innovation, Constructive Conflict, Speed, Agility, Diversity)
Implications For Different Organization Types
Opportunity to lead by innovating at scale. Use voice and influence to encourage social and economic policies that enable more fluid work. Model an approach to work automation that combines human and automated work.
Small businesses and startups:
Band together with other businesses to create larger talent ecosystems where talent can move fluidly across boundaries.
Draw talent from localities using platforms. Encourage micro-financing and portable benefits.
Local and State Governments:
Incorporate fluid work platforms into institutional talent planning. Implement local policies that support fluid work. Encourage and organize local and regional education, business and other constituents to create fluid work ecosystems.
Avoid assuming that “work” equals “jobs.” Expand concepts such as “work,” “voice,” “careers,” and “learning” beyond traditional ideas. Incorporate fluid work into your work planning.
For Further Details:
Watch the full youtube presentation by Dr. Boudreau:
Review the slides used during the presentation:
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STATE FUNDING FLOWS TO LOCAL WATER PROJECTS AND UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES
The Watersheds Coalition of Ventura County has Pursued Integrated Regional Water Management Since 2006
By Ron Bottorff and Candice Meneghin
Introduction
Local water projects have benefitted significantly, starting in 2006, through a State Department of Water Resources program known as Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM). Forty-nine IRWM “regions” were formed across California to develop IRWM Plans that identify water management challenges and implement innovative solutions among stakeholders. IRWM is a local, regional approach to managing water and related resources that was established with the passage of a series of voter-approved water bonds: Proposition 50 (2002), Proposition 84 (2006), Proposition 1 (2014).
The purpose of an IRWM program is to integrate planning and implementation efforts and to facilitate regional cooperation with the goal of improving water supply reliability, water recycling, water conservation, recreation and access, flood control, wetlands enhancement and creation, and environmental and habitat protection.
Watersheds Coalition of Ventura County
The Watersheds Coalition of Ventura County (WCVC) was formed in April, 2006 for purposes of coordinating the local IRWM Program. WCVC covers the majority of Ventura County, which has three primary watersheds: Ventura River, Santa Clara River, and Calleguas Creek (see map above). The WCVC includes 60 business, water, government, and environmental stakeholders; 17 state, federal and regional agencies and universities; and two watershed committees ( scrwatershed.org, venturawatershed.org) that meet regularly to guide development of the IRWM Plan and to address critical water management issues facing the region. The Ventura County Executive Office provides overall coordination and supervision through a memorandum of understanding with the partners funding the program. The primary objectives of WCVC are to:
- Protect and conserve local water supply and increase resilience
- Protect and improve water quality;
- Protect people, property, and the environment from adverse flooding impacts;
- Protect and restore habitat and ecosystems in our watersheds;
- Provide water-related recreational, public access, stewardship, and educational opportunities;
- Prepare for and adapt to climate change.
The WCVC Region has been remarkably successful in bringing diverse interests together to manage water resources on a regional level. Since 2008, the WCVC Region has received more than $94 million in Planning and Implementation Grants for a total of 42 projects and two IRWM Plans including four special studies. Some of the 42 implementation projects are now complete while others are underway.
Environment-related IRWMP Projects
Oxnard Forebay
The Oxnard Forebay is a vital area for groundwater recharge. Over 6,000 acres provide the primary area of recharge to an 11.0 million acre-foot aquifer, and over 15,000 people reside in the Forebay in areas that include El Rio West and College Park. Nitrate contamination caused by on-site wastewater treatment systems (septic systems) and drainage from agricultural operations in the area have long been a problem. This project involved removing 1,600 on-site septic systems and connecting those properties to the City of Oxnard’s Wastewater Treatment Plant thus reducing contamination in the groundwater basin.
Environmental Representation in Local Groundwater Sustainability Planning
Friends of the Santa Clara River participates in the Fox Canyon Groundwater Facilitated Process ( http://fcgmasustainability.org/); and Mound Basin ( https://www.moundbasingsa.org/) and Fillmore and Piru Basins ( https://www.fpbgsa.org/) Groundwater Sustainability Planning processes, whose Groundwater Sustainability Agencies are working towards a sustainable future for groundwater. These stakeholder driven efforts will utilize IRWM support in identifying projects that will help bring these basins into sustainability by 2042. Santa Clara River Floodplain Protection
The Nature Conservancy is implementing a Natural Floodplain Protection Program to preserve a critical section of floodplain in the Santa Clara River Watershed. This project is establishing a Floodplain Conservation Zone, where private property easements are acquired to ensure that the river floodplain remains as a critical component in storing floodwaters and maintaining green infrastructure. This project could save approximately one billion dollars and over 20,000 homes in case of a 500-year flood (Ref: Promoting Multi-benefit Floodplain Conservation Strategies Along the Lower Santa Clara River Through the Prioritization of Agricultural Conservation Easements, Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California Santa Barbara, 2013).
Community Engagement in Underserved Communities
Regional environmental and social justice non-profit groups are implementing a focused community engagement program for disadvantaged and underserved communities that focuses on their water needs. Initial outreach was done in person, and continued through virtual meetings, mailers, and phone calls. The program known as WaterTalks is conducting a community survey, which is available in both English and Spanish at https://watertalks.csusb.edu/ through March 31, 2021. Ventura River Watershed Invasive Plant Removal and Ecosystem Restoration
Ventura County Watershed Protection District is implementing an invasive species (e.g. giant reed) removal on four parcels of land adjacent to the Ventura River between Hwy 150 and Foster Park. This effort also includes enhancement of recreational opportunities on the Ventura river through design and installation of a trailhead kiosk and interpretive trail signage within the Ventura River Steelhead Preserve.
Conclusion
The IRWM Program will continue to play an instrumental role in facilitating local solutions, as stakeholders in Ventura County collectively build water resilience in times of climate change and potential mega-drought ( https://science.sciencemag.org/content/368/6488/314). These solutions will work in parallel with sustainable urban development. In addition to those projects funded with IRWM grant funding, many other projects and programs have been implemented in the WCVC Region which further the goals and objectives of the IRWM Plan. Please see www.watershedscoalition.org for a more complete list of projects and programs implemented in Ventura County since 2007. [Author’s Note: The authors wish to thank the Watersheds Coalition of Ventura County for permission to use information and photographs from: http://wcvc.ventura.org/IRWMP/2019IRWMP.html. We also wish to thankLara Shellenbarger and Lynn Rodriguez of Ventura County Watershed Protection and Watersheds Coalition of Ventura County for their suggestions and additions.] Ron Bottorff serves on the Board of Directors of Friends of the Santa Clara River and is a founding member of the Ventura County Civic Alliance. Candice Meneghin serves on the Board of Directors of Friends of the Santa Clara River and the Fillmore and Piru Basins Groundwater Sustainability Agency.
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Food Insecurity: Finding the light at the end of the tunnel in Ventura County.
by Monica White, President & CEO of Food Share of Ventura County
Founded in 1978, Food Share of Ventura County is the largest hunger relief organization in the county. Food Share collects, stores, and distributes millions of pounds of food annually to community partners such as food pantries, homeless shelters, and hot meal sites that work directly with people in need. Food Share also provides food directly, via programs like Senior Kit and Kids’ Farmers’ Market, and since the onset of COVID-19 has been distributing food at hundreds of emergency drive-thru distributions across Ventura County.
Food insecurity means that a person doesn’t have reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food. Often, it’s not obvious when someone is going hungry, but with 1 in 6 people in Ventura County experiencing food insecurity, the face of hunger may not be exactly who you expect.
Who experiences food insecurity?
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, many of the families Food Share served would need supplemental food perhaps two-three times a year. There’s a perception that we only feed the homeless, but the reality is that the vast majority of the people seeking assistance are working families, people who are employed but in low-income jobs and often living expense to expense.
To give some context, the median salary for a full-time minimum wage employee in Ventura County is approximately $31,200 a year. After taxes, take home pay is less than $2,000 a month. Even if two or more people in a household are working, if it’s in a low-wage job, that’s still very little to live on in Southern California. One unexpected expense like a visit to the emergency room or a car repair bill can be the difference between putting food on the table that month or paying rent.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food insecurity in Ventura County
As an organization we exist to help people who are going through difficult times. Hunger, after all, is a disaster for any individual who has to experience it, regardless of the cause. When we’re hit by disasters such as fires or this pandemic, it raises the awareness of the hunger that exists every day for thousands of our friends and neighbors.
With increased rates of unemployment and underemployment from reduced hours, the pandemic has worsened our hunger problem significantly. We’ve seen an unprecedented rise in need in addition to the 75,000 people we typically serve on a monthly basis. Our latest estimates suggest the number is closer to 150,000 as low-income families in our community have borne the full brunt of the layoffs and reduced hours in all sectors. Many are seeking food assistance from Food Share for the very first time.
In addition to those employees in the service and hospitality sectors, we’ve also seen an increased need among Ventura County’s 43,000 farm workers, many of whom have had their hours cut as the demand for fresh produce from schools, restaurants and entertainment venues has declined.
How Food Share is meeting the increased need
Food Share distributed 25 million pounds of food in 2020, a record amount for the food bank. It takes over 2500 volunteers and a solid infrastructure to accomplish that feat, which also brings a fair share of challenges. We’ve had to raise more funds to purchase more truckloads of food, find more volunteers to distribute it, plus find more storage as we prepare it for distribution.
We currently have 36,000 sq ft of warehousing space at our Oxnard facility, but with the additional inventory, we are bursting at the seams. Fortunately, a generous local businessman allowed us to use his empty warehouse for free, temporarily. We’re using that space to not only store food but also pack the 360,000 emergency food boxes we’ve distributed since April 2020 with the help of the 146th Airlift Wing of the CA Air National Guard. 
To further compound our challenges, at the beginning of the pandemic nearly 25% of our network of pantry partners were forced to close due to their older volunteers. This left a large gap in available resources exactly at the time when people needed food most. Food Share responded by holding nearly 300 drive-thru emergency food distributions in locations all over Ventura County
Amidst all the disaster response, Food Share’s first mobile app was launched for both the iPhone and Android platforms. The app has been a game changer in helping reach even more people who need food assistance. A free download of the app allows anyone to use the “Find Food Now” search function which displays all open food distributions within a 5 – 10 – 20 or 30 mile radius of their current location.
Our institutional optimism makes it difficult to accept the fact we’re not going to see a significant drop in demand for food in the foreseeable future. However, experience from previous local disasters such the Thomas and Woolsey/Hill fires has taught us that recovery takes time and the impact from this pandemic runs even deeper.
At this moment in February 2021, a record number of people in our community are still out of work or trying to regain their footing after a loss of work hours and income. Even with retail establishments starting to open up and more jobs being offered, many are dealing with underemployment which seriously impacts their ability to build financial stability. Even when the pandemic is past and truly over and the economy starts to recover, Food Share’s challenge to feed a significantly higher number of people in need will continue for many months or even years to come.
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For information on where to find food, how to volunteer and how you can support Food Share with a monetary donation visit: www.foodshare.com or download Food Share’s new app, available for free in the App Store and Google. Search: “Food Share of Ventura County.”
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A Special Thank You Goes to Our State of the Region Report Sponsors:
Research Sponsor –
Ventura County Community Foundation
Presenting Sponsor –
Ventura County Community College District
Domain Sponsors –
AERA
AT&T
California Lutheran University – Center for Economics of Social Issues
California State University Channel Islands
County of Ventura
Haas Automation Inc.
Limoneira
Montecito Bank & Trust
Supporting Sponsors –
Gold Coast Transit
The Port of Hueneme
United Staffing Associates
Ventura County Coastal Association of Realtors
VCDSA – Ventura County Deputy Sheriff’s Association
Ventura County Office of Education
Ventura County P-20 Council
Contributing Sponsors –
California Lutheran University Center for Nonprofit Leadership
SESPE Consulting Inc.
Ventura County Credit Union
Ventura County Transportation Commission
Friend Sponsors –
Dyer Sheehan Group, Inc.
David Maron
Ferguson Case Orr Paterson LLP
Kate McLean
Slover Memorial Fund
Stacy and Kerry Roscoe
Terri & Mark Lisigor
United Way of Ventura County
Media Sponsor –
Pacific Coast Business Times
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