2011-03-23 Cost of Government Commission Minutes

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Let me give you an example, last year I was trying to volunteer for some things. I volunteered at several places and they never called me back sosomeone that will pursue and put into action. MR. MATSUDA: Bill, what kind of volunteer projects or programs do we have right now? MR. TAKABA: You have the RSVP program. It’s a retired senior volunteer program. They do community services throughout the community. I assume that because this is the Cost of Government commission you’re talking about placing volunteers within the county departments. MS. WONG: No, not necessarily in the county departments, it could be. It’s more in whatever needs there were situation, bigger needs. And it may be something like because I live next to the golf course and the golf course needs cleaning, for some group to go in and help clean the golf course. That might be a volunteer from in county that would be Parks and Recreation. MS. NICHOLSON: So why would not Parks and Recreation head that up. MS. WONG: Because that’s not their job to be incorporating volunteers. MR. TAKABA: Well like friends of the zoo is a volunteer program that helps with the zoo and I think there is coordination with the zoo personnel, they get volunteers that come in. MS. O’HARA: Parks and Recs actually has a friends of template. Friends of the park, friends of this. It’s a contract that they get into with volunteers for not just the zoo, for parks and all kinds of other entities. I remember using that template that they had developed and I think it’s actually somewhere incorporated into the Code so it has a legal basis when trying to develop similar programs around our transfer stations. MS. PROVALENKO: I don’t feel comfortable creating a new position at this point. MS. O’HARA: I don’t either. This work could be done by any number of people. I don’t know why the executive assistant/volunteer coordinator got in there but the Mayor does have four executive assistants, is that correct Bill? MR. TAKABA: Yes. MS. O’HARA: I don’t know why one of them couldn’t take on whatever task is involved here and I also think if you’re talking about putting them in lieu of or in departments that are short staffed you are going to buck up against union issues there so that’s something to consider. But we also have a very underutilized student internship program which could be better utilized here at the county. I made use of it when I was here because I had connections with the university having taught there but I couldn’t have run my section without my students, one of whom is now a council member as a result of that experience. So I think it’s a really good program to promote. MS. NICHOLSON: So maybe we can somehow incorporate this suggestion for the county to make better use of volunteers and include the student internship program. MS. O’HARA: Because we do have a very good university here in town and a lot of students need to make money and earnprofessional experience. It’s a really good opportunity. 18