CORO

Government Sector Projects

Fiona Ma’s District Office
By Renita Nesby, FPPA class of 2010

During my time at Fiona Ma’s District Office, I was given the opportunity to see firsthand how the District Director and field representatives work with the community to understand their needs. I attended events in District 12 where Assembly Member Ma wanted to show her community that she is attentive and supportive of their efforts. The event that made the biggest impression on me was the 30th anniversary celebration of the Women’s Building in San Francisco. As a woman, Coro Fellow, and resident of San Francisco, it was important for me to learn that the District Director, Bob Twomey, felt the need to have Fiona Ma represented at such a momentous occasion for women in San Francisco.

In addition, I was given one-on-one time with Assembly Member Ma and learned that she sees her role as that of someone who is in Sacramento to empower the people of her district and to give them opportunities through jobs. That is the meaning of a public servant and thanks to Coro… I can say from experience how dedicated and accessible Assembly Member Fiona Ma is to her constituents.


The San Francisco Hall of Justice
By Hunter Gordon, 2009 Coro Fellow
In the spring of 2009, San Francisco’s Community Justice Center (CJC) will open on Polk Street in the city’s downtown area. It will be the latest addition to the city’s Collaborative Justice Courts, which attempt to find alternative responses to low-level criminal behavior. The CJC in particular will focus on non-violent crimes committed in the Civic Center, Union Square, Tenderloin, and SoMa areas of the city. The Center will collaborate with government agencies, such as the Department of Public Health, and various non-profits to address many of the issues that face downtown San Francisco.

For my government placement, I assisted with the development of the Community Justice Center. I did so primarily by working on a survey that was to be given to the residents, workers, and visitors of the CJC’s designated areas. 
The purpose of the survey was to determine the needs of those who participated, as well as establish baseline feedback on how the area and its services were functioning. In the future, this survey will prove to be a useful tool for measuring the court’s progress. Specifically, I contributed to the survey by mapping out the business districts that would be asked to participate in the survey. I was also part of the team that decided on the content of the questionnaire.

In addition to working on this baseline survey, I was exposed to other aspects of the planning for the CJC. I attended a town hall meeting, for instance, that was held in the Tenderloin district and gave citizens an opportunity to ask questions about the endeavor, as well as give input to CJC administrators. I went to meetings with and interviewed several people who have been instrumental in the development and implementation of this project.

I was also allowed to observe the interactive processes of the Hall of Justice’s Collaborative Justice Courts, including Drug Court and Behavioral Health Court. In these courtrooms, criminal offenders whose illegal actions are considered to be largely a consequence of either drug addiction or behavioral health problems are given a third option beyond incarceration or release. Instead, they are provided with a rigorous, individualized treatment plan that encourages them to resolve the personal issues which had historically led to their criminal behavior. I watched this process unfold on two levels. First, I was in the judge’s chambers where a group comprised of case workers, probation officers, and attorneys worked with the judge to find solutions for each person coming through the Collaborative Courts. Then, these group decisions were discussed with defendants in the courtroom. I was impressed by the ability of various elements in the criminal justice system to work together towards the twin goals of public safety and individual rights, and also by the non-adversarial approach in the courtroom that gave those on trial mentorship and guidance, not just sentencing.

There was much about this placement that I enjoyed. I liked being a part of something that was attempting to find creative solutions to seemingly irresolvable issues. The individuals I worked with were passionate about what they do and strove for goals shared by many, thereby minimizing some of the issues that may have separated them in the past and highlighting the areas in which they shared common ground. Furthermore, they were given the chance to have ownership over the process in which they were engaged, and, consequently, they worked that much more diligently at their jobs. Everybody provided input to the decisions being made, and choices were better as a result.


Kirstin Conti, 2008 Coro Fellow:

My government placement was with the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (also known as BCDC). BCDC is the regulatory agency that manages and protects the Bay waters. For my project I was asked to assess the feasibility and impacts of placing a dam across the mouth of the Bay in order to produce tidal energy and prevent sea level rise due to climate change.

To complete my project, I conducted interviews with people from the Environmental Protection Agency, Army Corps of Engineers, California Coastal Commission, URS Corporation and others. In the end, I composed a staff report and gave a formal presentation detailing my findings.
BCDC is a forward-thinking agency. I believe this catalyzed my project because sea level rise is a problem the Bay will face in the future. I believe my project gave BCDC a stepping stone for addressing the complex issues associated with adapting to sea level rise. Additionally, it gave BCDC the tools to deal with a proposed dam project.

During my placement, I discovered that government agencies can have a communal nature. BCDC often works with other organizations to formulate and enforce their policies. Consequently, I saw how cooperation between government agencies can often yield positive results. I grew from this experience not only because of the challenges my project posed but also because of the many people and perspectives I encountered along the way. Working with BCDC was a wonderful opportunity and I am grateful for my experience there.

Will Travis, Executive Director, BCDC:

The Reber plan was proposed in the 1940s. It took the Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Congress several years and several million dollars to determine that it was infeasible. In just four short weeks, costing us only a few hundred dollars, Kirstin studied a similar proposal for a dam across the Golden Gate and came to the same conclusion. 



Brenda Goeden, Dredging Program Manager, BCDC:

What were the most important benefits of your experience hosting a Coro Fellow? Getting to know a wonderful, bright fellow. Having someone take on a short project that other staff members would not be able to tackle so quickly due to work load was of great benefit to our organization.

Geoff Willard, 2008 Coro Fellow:

I worked in the office of Government Relations at the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. I was able to take part in the development of several ‘green’ legislative proposals that the Commission will present to City Hall for review and approval. One of these proposes an inventive approach to solving what is currently a municipal headache. Fats, oils and grease (FOG) produced in restaurant kitchens are currently treated as waste byproducts and often discarded into sewers, where they create costly clogs.

I helped design and formulate the FOG Ordinance, which will keep grease out of sewers and will enable the city to reprocess the FOG into Biodiesel, fueling city vehicles and decreasing San Francisco’s dependency on fossil fuels. I greatly enjoyed working with the SFPUC on this and other projects, and see their implementation as a step towards greater sustainability and resource conservation.
It was both refreshing and greatly reassuring to work in a government office that is dynamic and effective and is made up of individuals who feel a great sense of mission and responsibility in their roles. The PUC left me with a renewed respect for how efficient and energetic a government organization can be. The myth of 'slow and inefficient government' need not be a guiding philosophy when debating the role of government.