California Air Resources Board

Background: There were eight external participants, five from the public or a community-based organization (CBO), one student, and two representatives of a governmental organization.   

Summary: On January 18, 2024, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) hosted an in-person dialogue session in its Southern California Headquarters in Riverside to seek recommendations on how CARB can better engage communities when developing programs, policies, and regulations. The event started off with a brief presentation that discussed who the staff working on this effort are, the purpose of the draft Community Engagement Model (Model) being developed, and what the draft Model currently includes. After the presentation, folks transitioned into an open discussion regarding key questions relating to outreach, engagement, and follow-through. Key ideas and themes included: ensuring materials are accessible including translations, take the time to listen to the community, increased partnership with (CBOs and local governmental entities, use all media available to contact the community, provide adequate times, facilities/services and incentives for the community to attend meetings. 

Detailed Notes 

Outreach  

1) How can CARB best inform you that something is going on?  For example, regulatory updates, grants, enforcement issues. Email, social media, etc.? 

• Using social media was one of the most important comments with many variants. 
• It needs to be fun (with colors), accessible and interactive, and that there are many platforms to help develop them or as good examples including Linkedin and the Air Quality Management District (AQMD).  
• Using a relatable approach. 
• Knowing target population: individuals, communities, or agencies.  
• Having a presence in the communities is another approach that should be considered. Using booths in cultural event like national holidays (for Mexicans) or using the local resources like Cities’ Parks and Recreations, these are points of contact to CBO, and have events matching with parks.  
• Better time for the events is: weekends (Saturdays in the morning), or after work / after hours. 
• Events require constant reminders, both physical and on-line. 
• Consider the needs of the individuals: pick up kids, make dinner, provide incentives for the meeting (food/a meal) and childcare. 
• Language interpretation is very important. 
• Important to educate and inform the community on who is responsible for what, Zoom could be an important tool. 
• Partnership with other entities. 
• To contact use all media available and it is dependent on target audience: call or e-mail for old people or other media for younger fellows. 
• The information needs to be accessible and understandable. 
• Some communities do not have internet, an official letter and or community bulletin boards could be effective. 
• Some of these processes/projects legally required up to 5-year reviews.   

2) How should we communicate information, so it is relatable and understandable? Enough background, clear language, more visual components like charts, maps, infographics, etc.    

• Going to schools and creating a fellowship to communicate the message to (9th – 12th) 

3) What types of meetings are most useful?  Webinar, phone call, in-person meetings, virtual meetings?  

• All have their merits; it may depend on the target audience. 

Engagement  

1) Please talk about a government engagement process that went well.  What did you like about that process?    

• Smaller groups and breakout groups. 
• Activities during the meetings and for outreach to bring in individuals. 
• Don’t take the lecture approach to community meetings.  This can be intimidating. 
• Start off a meeting by ask simple questions like how is your day?  
• Community base tours of facilities in their local neighborhood. 

2) Please talk about a government engagement process that did not go well.  What could have been done better?   

• Question was not covered 

3) How should CARB balance engagement versus communities being asked to do too much?    

• Be aware of different levels of engagement 
• Toxic tours were very important to community members when Chair Randolph attended 
• Be aware that all community members can’t attend meetings due to family commitments  
• The agency should be proactive with community members when air issues happen in their community. 
• Present more information than less to communities regarding air issues 
• Community members want their voice to be heard 
• Team up with other CBO’s on resolving air issues in communities 
• Spotlight and elevating local person perspectives 

Follow Through 

1) When you provide feedback, what is the best way we can show that your feedback was heard and considered?   

• Responding (reporting) back to the community, explaining what has been done. 
• Ask for better ways/ faster ways to arrive to the same goal. 
• Giving resources to the community or guide the community to the resources. 
• Agencies (staff) need to have active listening skills, listen, and understand that the community is not attacking you.   

2) How would you like CARB to share what feedback was received and how it was addressed?    

• Reporting updates and sending a post card, e-mail, or post in social media. 

3) How can CARB be a better long-term partner for your community?   

• Provide resources. 
• Provide a seat at the table. 
• Be creative in terms of recognition like a letter of recommendation or other: highlight them at meetings or give recognition in public to the participants. 
• Giving a phone call of thank you / invite them for lunch.  
• Avoid language barriers, use translation  
• It takes time to learn, time is needed to digest information. 
• Do no dump large amount of raw information to be reviewed in a short time.  
• Help digest information with infographics, two-pagers, or recording/videoing of information, including short videos (or a series of short understandable videos)  

Next Steps 

This is very important, and it is needed to interact with other agencies, for example AQMD has very similar situations.