PRIORITIZING ENGAGEMENT AT THE SALTON SEA Sahara Huazano
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PRIORITIZING ENGAGEMENT AT THE SALTON SEA Sahara Huazano, Alianza Coachella Valley Lauren Elachi, Kounkuey Design Initiative March 19, 2019
ALIANZA COACHELLA VALLEY Alianza members: Alianza supports environmental justice policies that enable the people of the Eastern Coachella Valley to enjoy healthy lives at home, work, and school. We believe solving community problems means addressing their root causes, and we advocate for letting people have a say in decisions affecting the places where they live.
OUR VISION We envision a Salton Sea that is for people, that uplifts community voices, and embraces a holistic definition of resiliency. The SSMP must be shaped by community input, resulting in projects that prioritize public health in conjunction with habitat restoration and dust mitigation.
ALIANZA ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE CAMPAIGN
OUR ASKS • Prioritize opportunities for multibeneficial infrastructure that integrates community amenities and pilot projects • Develop community design criteria in conjunction with residents that are included in the design-build RFPs • Implement community engagement plans that lead to sustained resident involvement
OUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE STATE’S ENGAGEMENT PROCESS • Create a dedicated engagement strategy and engagement budget for each existing SSMP project in coordination with local organizations • Develop a roadmap for how community design criteria will be implemented • Include community amenities and pilot projects upfront • Create opportunities for participatory budgeting
OUR REQUESTS OF THE BOARD • By April 15, 2019: sign the MOU with Alianza and partners to review our SSMP engagement recommendations • By May 15, 2019: establish an engagement strategy with designated budget for each project in coordination with local partners • By July 15, 2019: organize a meeting directly with community members, at a time that is convenient and available for them, to allow for direct communication with residents • In the next six months, begin to establish project must-haves and community design criteria with residents in a transparent manner
THANK YOU! Sahara Huazano: sahara@alianzacv. org Lauren Elachi: lauren@kounkuey. org
