California Air Resources Board

Link to Jamboard

Background: There were approximately 50 participants from the public. Three breakout groups were created for smaller group discussions.

Summary: On January 17^th, 2024, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) hosted an online virtual meeting via Zoom to seek recommendations from members of the public on ways that CARB can better engage with communities when developing programs, projects, policies, and regulations. The event started off with a brief presentation that discussed who CARB and 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, participants transitioned into three smaller breakout groups to engage in discussions regarding key questions relating to outreach, engagement, and follow-through. At the end of the meeting, each breakout group gave a report out of key ideas that were discussed. Key ideas and themes included: using a wide array of outreach methods, ensure information is accessible and clear, following up with updates should be continuous, and individually recognizing or following up with participants on what was done with their feedback.

Notes from the Jamboard with Supplemental Notes

Outreach

1. How can CARB best inform you that something is going on?

• Social media - Reels/TikToks/etc. Other narratives that help stick in people's mind
• Email and social media such as Facebook would be helpful
• Email list servs, text options
• Concise email
• Email communication as well as social media.
• Direct, personalized emails
• Bolded, not super lengthy emails, has the needed links. English and Spanish versions sent at the same time are appreciated. (x3)
• List serve process works very well.
• Listservs, emails (x4)
• Make sure listservs are updated with new folks and updated email addresses.
• Newsletters, don't track CARB work closely
• QR codes - easy access to list serves, data, info, etc.
• Calendar with events via email (x2)
• EJ blog is more helpful than most other CARB communications
• Air Quality Index- text alerts
• Highlight information by region/area (regional information) so I know what's happening around me.
• Infographics to share with community-based organizations (CBOs) that they can then share on their own social media
• Post information that will be discussed at a meeting at least a week in advance
• Hearing from community members sharing why this work is important to them.
• Concerns about CARB ignoring silica dust/Mojave desert issues

2. How should we communicate information so it is relatable and understandable?

• Calls, easy to understand language
• Making phone calls
• Phone calls, people get a lot of emails and may miss something
• Bolding key information
• More visuals such as infographics and maps. Easy-to-understand language
• More visuals, infographics
• Brief presentations
• Helpful to NOT use acronyms- people may not know what it stands for or the insider vocabulary/jargon.
• Background explainers on topic websites could be overhauled or extended or harmonized in terms of style, depending on the subject
• Pictures/video of examples
• Short video clips
• Story maps- very navigable with a main summary and specific steps. (BACM)
• Additional references/links for more details might be helpful
• Utilizing blank space and not overwhelming readers. Better to have more infographics than one cluttered one.
• Have a community hub on our website - our website is hard to navigate!
• Make sure the websites are harmonized with information shared with the public
• Posting updates to the original site people went to or on the homepage to help them access the updates
• Information in multiple languages. Ensure that translated material is appropriate and accurate. Google translate-type of tools don't always translate well.
• Provide information in multiple languages.
• Dual language (Spanish, Korean, other community languages)
• Ensure that info is delivered to audience that needs it the most
• Targeted outreach - automatic license plate reader and PEAQS project that had related incentive info in a postcard with QR code. Postcards were sent to addresses on file.
• Interface with hospitals about communicating health impacts from air pollution

3. What types of meetings are most useful?

• Webinars tend to work best.
• Webinars and zoom meetings
• 1:1 zoom calls
• Prefer zoom to webinars, chat feels more accessible and easier to engage with the meeting format
• Zoom is easier
• Hybrid, but we haven't quite figured it all out yet
• Mix of options-series of in person meetings with virtual meetings in between to have a variety of ways to engage
• Some localities plan multi-day events, helps when it's a very local event.
• Multi-day events
• Partner/network with local groups
• Informal meetings that bring people together. Smaller events that are more like office hours. Helps build trust.
• Meetings with elected officials In-person meetings at city council meetings available to the public
• Presenting at city councils/county board of supervisors/transit agencies
• Preference for during the day meetings
• Anyone doing this full time would prefer during the day, but those who have other things going on may prefer the evening

Engagement

1.  Please talk about a government engagement process that went well.

• Knowing the background. Why/how did we get to this project? What's the funding like?
• Advertisement increased turnout
• Focused group meetings or Working Team Meetings can be useful in engaging with the community
• CSC members co-leading working teams - helps share power during the process
• Good example: Methane Task force response in kern county- joined 617 meetings, connected with CBOs, invitations, door-knocking, co-development of m
• Hands-on participatory bilingual (English/Spanish) meetings with drawing, sticky notes and maps
• While working for city government, we held a community gathering about a controversial project. We did a lot of advertising for the event to increase turnout.
• Consistent communication with trusted community members
• Materials with 617 members, CBOs, CARB, CALGEM
• Other: https://www.climateactioncampaign.org/mission#:~:text=Our%20Theory%20of%20Change,and%20nations%20across%20the%20globe

2. Please talk about a government engagement process that did not go well.

• Giving input/prepping for meeting, but not clear on who is going to follow through with it. Accountability is important
• Provide technical assistance
• Competing concerns/priorities between local governments, state, government, and communities
• No community participation
• Staff getting defensive
• Ignored by agencies around silica concerns in Mojave. Agencies that are supposed to protect them are part of perpetuating the problem. Not shown on CalEPA EnviroScreen map
• Not providing enough time for folks to gather their thoughts-where are deadlines coming from? Are they flexible?
• What regulatory actions can be used to mitigate pollution concerns?
• Need to figure out/understand who has jurisdiction over the issue?
• Agencies don't have the resources to work independently, they have to collaborate on engagement and solutions

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

• Compensation
• Make sure that the communities are provided with the resources needed to participate.
• One-on-ones with CBOs to build more capacity outside of larger community meetings
• Lean on meetings already taking place in communities.
• Need more capacity building resources to help community groups participate
• Have an individual that can interface regionally with groups to help build capacity
• Develop an outreach toolkit on your website so that community groups can easily share information
• Have more consolidated information on the website

Follow Through

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

• Shoutout to individuals/organizations that provide feedback (email, website, or social media)
• Tracking what happens to feedback
• Recommending to CBOs/other parties how to best provide feedback so that it can be incorporated. If there was a reason the feedback wasn't incorporated. Knowing what the barriers are will help inform the community.
• Follow up directly with community members about the status of their feedback being/not being incorporated
• A follow-up email that states feedback was/wasn't incorporated

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

• Respond to feedback. Ask questions...
• What is CARB going to do with this information? Next steps moving forward?
• Short summary email with key take aways bolded or highlighted
• Helpful to see where data goes to decision makers
• Make decisions transparent, report them back to communities
• Funding may be paused, but we still need to figure out/communicate how the work will still be done/what it looks like

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

• Create relationships with organizations that have direct access to the community.
• Staying consistent with communication, community building, and continuing to partner within and outside of the organization.
• Build off of previous conversations instead of starting fresh each time there is outreach/engagement
• Think about historical context surrounding how CARB has engaged with specific communities.

Group Report Back

Outreach

• Marketing/Tik-Tok
• Door-to-door outreach, think outside the listserv
• Going back to the basics-make phone calls, brief 1:1s to get to know people
• Personalize outreach emails to CBOs/individuals/districts, etc
• Highlight information in a regional context
• Interfacing with hospitals/medical centers/healthcare agencies because these issues impact health
• Have an outreach toolkit available on the website to help folks spread the word about CARBs work

Engagement

• Make sure people are accountable for engagement processes that didn't go well
• Acknowledge/praise those that give feedback
• Relationship building with organizations that have direct work with communities
• Build on what we've heard-how do we work with communities to show we've heard them and not ask them to repeat themselves?
• Talk internally to build historical context/share knowledge

Follow Through

• Send an email congratulating people when feedback is incorporated.
• Status updates- received feedback, what it was, whether or not it was incorporated.
• Continuous follow through- how does information make its way to decision makers?
• Do follow through even when there isn't a specific ask/comment/program
• Keep lines of communication open
• Thank community members for participation, show them where information about participation can be located
• People trying to figure out what jurisdiction their issue falls in, feeling ignored- how do we make this information more accessible and respond to these concerns?

Accessible Information

• When it comes to engagement/outreach- be clear with translations and make sure they are understood by the person speaking that language
• Have some sort of community hub to show how to access information on the CARB website

General

• Methane Task force as a case example
• Disconnect between community concerns and CARB actions