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FAQ Topic: Learning Lab

How do I sign-up for the Wildcard spot?

A Wildcard Team is a group of 2 or more employees who want one day to work on a small project. The idea is that the project is small enough where one day away from your desk would help you make significant progress. Each month we will have one spot reserved at the Learning Lab … Continued

NEO (new employee onboarding)

To ensure the successful on-boarding of a new employee, the hiring coordinator and involved departments need clear communication and defined roles and responsibilities from the new employee’s acceptance through their first year of work at the City of San Rafael. Teams: Jamie Poirier Vinh Pham Sylvia Gonzalez Joan Peck Christine Sorenson Helena Munoz Solutions: An … Continued

#2 (Illegal Dumping)

Increased illegal dumping in commercial areas is affecting the economic vitality and quality of life for people who work in San Rafael and is causing an excessive allocation of City and business owner resources. Team: Todd Berringer Cory Bytof Shirley Ng Rob Cleland Mark Wilkinson Anthony Scalercio Solutions: Centralized reporting form Outreach and education to … Continued

Knowledge is Power (internal communication)

City employees need to connect on a regular basis to learn about what other departments do in order to facilitate collaboration. Team:  Lauren Monson Henry Bankhead Tiffany Haley Jason Fong Stacey Peterson Jason Hatfield Solutions: Regular events for employees to connect around spontaneity (battle decks, ignite, improve) learning (lunch & learn, teach-in, virtual reality) Applied … Continued

A Perfect Storm (external communication)

The San Rafael community is in need of regular reminders and education regarding the responsibility and maintenance of drainage structures. Team: Dylan Frisbie Barbara Reher Ryan Kirkpatrick Lauren Davini Cynthia Morgan David Catalinotto Solutions: Letters to property owners Pamphlets for maintenance workers to hand out Banners Presentation

Silo Busters (cross-departmental permit approval process)

The permit process is complex and involves many steps. A permit or other documents are usually routed to numerous people across divisions/departments. Inefficient communication across divisions/departments causes frustrating delays for customers and City staff during the permitting process. Laura Washburn Lindsay Lara Zak Baron Paul Jenson Michele Ginn Solutions: Smart, electronic routing form that tells … Continued

Community partnerships

As our capacity to provide services declines and community expectations continue to increase, there is a growing frustration from the public and a reduction of trust in local government overall. In the past, local governments may have been able to be the sole provider of services, while now it takes a partnership or coalitions to … Continued

Cultivating a positive culture

We live in divisive times and it’s easy to forget all of the good around us. Stress can cause negative health impacts, counterproductive and dangerous behaviors, and even violence. How might we cultivate a culture of positivity in San Rafael? Team: Sara Smith, Finance Cheryl Meeker, Library Loren Lundy, Public Works Susan Andrade-Wax, Community Services … Continued

Obsolete and onerous regulations

Outdated regulations are often no longer effective and can be a sense of frustration to both staff and the public. They can create unnecessary bureaucracy that slows down projects and increases costs. How might we reduce the number of outdated and ineffective regulations? Team:  Don Jeppson, Community Development Brittany Bober, City Clerk’s Office Josh Minshall, … Continued

Homeless encampment fire and health threats

Team Challenge: Mitigate the risk of wildfires due to homeless encampments. Homeless encampments impact the quality of life for the entire community. How do we ensure safety from wildfires due to homeless encampments? Team: Faby Guille-Urfer, Public Works Laraine Gittens, City Attorney’s Office Lynn Murphy, Police Department Christine Foster, Public Works Carl Huber, Police Department

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