The San Francisco Bay Water Board just wrapped up two days of hearings on the forthcoming reissuance of their Municipal Regional Stormwater Permit.
The mayors of Concord, Orinda, San Ramon, and Antioch, the Vice Mayor of San Pablo, Contra Costa County Supervisor Diane Burgess, and councilmembers from Danville and Hillsborough addressed the Board, along with many municipal staff from City Managers on down.
The difference in values–what comes from our people and communities vs. what comes from an insular bureaucracy–was most evident in the discussion of homelessness.
Water Board staff had written into the permit prescriptions for what to do to keep trash and feces from homeless encampments from getting into waterways. The elected officials and municipal staff were able to detail their experience (ah, actual experience!) of trying those very things. (News: placing porta-potties and hand-washing stations is not sustainable).
The elected officials and municipal staff plead to the Water Board: Don’t make us do these things that we already tried and found don’t work, and please don’t make use divert our efforts from what does work– getting people housed.
The conversation on other subjects was in a similar vein. Cubicle-originated prescriptions came up hard against experience (and heart). Insular bureaucracy collided with democratic reality.
I’m trying hard to set aside my cynicism that the two days spent will do any good.