#12

The San Mateo County Department of Parks does is not constitutionally mandated in any charter. Since it is a local branch of government it reports to local officials, and not state ones. A similar document to a state constitution would the county charter. The county charter is structured in a similar fashion and uses similar language to state/federal constitutions. The Department of Parks works with some institutions that are state mandated by the San Mateo County Charter. In recent years, the scope of the County Department of Parks has increased. Previously they focused solely on developing and maintaining county parks. However, in recent years they have explored working with city parks departments to maximize the public's access and utility of parks throughout the county. The book brings up the point that often times local institutions levels of responsibility can overlap. This highlights that organizations should work together in shared areas of responsibility to enhance the effectiveness and utility towards its citizens. Here is an online copy of the San Mateo County Charter:
http://www.co.sanmateo.ca.us/Attachments/countycounsel/pdfs/Charter%202012.pdf

Ch. 8

The San Mateo County Department of Parks is funded by the County of San Mateo County. The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors is the body responsible for providing funds to the Department of Parks. The board creates and reviews the budget for all county programs. The Department of Parks is working with various city governments to help create and maintain parks throughout the county. These organizations do not depend on the county for their funding, but the partnership helps ease the cost and responsibility for both parties. Some organizations exists to help fund the Department of Parks, such as the San Mateo County Parks Foundation and Friends of Edgewood Park.

#9

The San Mateo County Department of Parks does not have much involvement in resolving problems via the judicial process. Most of the departments work is done in unison with local stakeholders, which diminishes chances for conflict. The Department of Parks can theoretically be involved in the civil, criminal, and administrative cases. The most common reasons for a park department to be involved in the judicial processes would be over land use and pollution. Since park departments operate at the local level it is unlikely that they will be involved in cases in major trial court or the supreme court. The Department of Parks could be sued in court, for issues revolving equal access for people with disabilities or concern for the condition of the environment.  

#8

The San Mateo County Department of Parks works with various state, local, and federal agencies and organizations. Primarily they work with city and county government bodies. The park department's funding is allocated by the county supervisors. In addition, the county supervisors may pass county ordinances that the park department must comply with. An ordinance might be passed because of citizen concern or the lobbying efforts of some government or private organization. Since the department must cover real estate and property in several cities and unincorporated county areas it must work with the government of the surrounding municipalities to ensure the parks are maintained, safe, and accessible. This would include the county sheriffs and public works and local park, law enforcement, and public works departments. The county department of parks is located on the same property as many other county agencies, which helps promote cooperation.

CP's conflict with State Government

My community partner is the San Mateo County Department of Parks, and due to the bipartisan nature and public safety focus of their work conflicts do not arise often between the Department of Parks and the other government entities. One area of conflict is land use. In the bay area the demand of land is growing higher by the day. Cities have an incentive to develop land in order to generate more tax revenue. However, cities must balance economic development with the interests of citizens. If all local government cared about was generating revenue they would not have any parks at all. The San Mateo County Department of Parks usually works conflict free in conjunction with other government agencies. One conflict that could arise would be underfunding. With the recent economic downturn every government agency had to reduce its budget. Instead of allowing that conflict to interfere with their work, the parks department has moved towards looking for private funding or co-funding. For example, in Redwood City a park is currently being developed with partial funding from Shutterfly.

CP Blog #6

The San Mateo County Department of Parks attempts to encourage legislative process by advocating to local law makers to increase the funding to the Parks department. Budgets are passed by legislating bodies such as Congress, city council and county board of supervisors. This could manifest itself in many ways such as e-mailing, calling or meeting with certain elected officials in order to make their case as to why their budget should be increased. Other times the Department of Parks will advocate for certain lands to be restored and turned into parks. For example the San Francisco Department of Parks devised a plan to restore a coastal golf course to its natural habitat and make it a park. The Department of Parks must be careful to not get too involved into politics, as it is a partisan government entity like the I.R.S. or Highway Patrol.

Parks and Rec.

My community partner is the San Mateo County Department of Parks. The Department of Parks interacts with a variety of citizens from various segments of society within San Mateo County. The Department of Parks is tasked with creating new public spaces as well as to maintain existing ones. One way the San Mateo  County Department of Parks interacts with the citizens they serve is through citizen volunteers. The Department of Parks relies on citizens for a variety of tasks, including acting as trail guides, maintaining trails and pathways, and cleaning up parks. In addition, the Department of Parks works with a variety of private sector organizations to help fund raise for the creation of new parks. These interactions all happen at the local level, throughout San Mateo County. The Department of Parks works with a variety of other local agencies to facilitate their mission. Citizen participation effects my community partner drastically. If no one used the parks, the county would likely shut them down. While using the parks might not be contributing to the betterment of the park, it is a way the public participates with the Department of Parks.

The Legacy of Dr. King and Voting Rights

The most enduring legacy of Martin Luther King, with regards to voting rights, would be the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. These two pieces of legislation allowed for greater equality and allowed more minority groups to enter local elected offices. It also called for local elections to be monitored at the federal levels in areas that had a past of discriminatory conduct. Unfortunately the United States of America has a long and ugly past of discriminating against minority groups, and the right to vote should never be taken for granted. Even today, cases involving discriminatory re-redistricting practices make headlines. After the 2000 Presidential Election and with recent trends like voter ID cards it is clear that fair and equal elections must still be fought for, and not assumed to be in practice. Dr. King did a tremendous amount to help achieve great equality and inclusion in the political process for all minority groups in America. The things that MLK fought for effect everyone, and not just African Americans. Anyone who is a member of a group that is different, either in appearance or in their thinking, from the majority can be construed as a threat to those in power. Dr. King was subjected to government surveillance and intimidation, due to his political-economic vision and his rejection of the War in Vietnam.  Especially with the recent revelations of Edward Snowden ensuring fair elections is even more important.

CP: Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District/San Mateo County Department of Parks

I am exploring the option of working with the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District and the San Mateo County Department of Parks. The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District operates 26 open space preserves which are open to the public, year round and free of charge. They create projects designed to ensure that the lands are properly maintained and provide public access without damaging the local ecosystems. In many ways the Midpeninsula Open Space District fulfills the same role a city's parks and recreation program would if these spaces fell in city jurisdiction. The San Mateo County Department of Parks fulfils a similar role: monitoring, maintaining and promoting open space parks and trails throughout San Mateo County. These parks include some Redwood Forests and Coastal areas. As an avid outdoorsmen myself I find it extremely important to preserve the unique ecosystems found in the Bay Area. I feel that nature is truly a "voiceless" entity and since everyone is a stakeholder in our environments stability and health the government should do as much as possible to protect our environment from further development and pollution. Hopefully I can learn more about what our government does to protect these areas and how they can expand their efforts.

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