TO: Sebastopol City Councilmembers
Mayor Neysa Hinton, Vice Mayor Diana Rich, Sandra Maurer, Jill McLewis, and Stephen Zollman FROM: Patricia Dines
Editor & Lead Writer of The Next STEP newsletter (“Your handy guide to less-toxic living “) DATE: June 26, 2023
RE: June 27, 2023 City Council Meeting/Budget — STEP Newsletter — Request to fund final print issue and library copy Dear City Councilmembers —
MY UNDERSTANDING OF YOUR POSSIBLE CURRENT PLANS FOR THE STEP NEWSLETTER From your discussion at the 6/20/23 City Council meeting, my understanding is that you’re leaning towards choosing the Budget Committee proposal for The Next STEP newsletter. Specifically to:
• Eliminate funding to distribute STEP in print in the City water bills in the next fiscal year. STEP has been distributed this way for nearly 23 years, six issues a year. (Current annual cost $3,320 + 10-15 staff hours.) • Instead, the proposed STEP annual budget would be $500, for posting the newsletter to the City website. This would be a net cut of 85% plus no added staff hours.
MY RESPONSE AND REQUEST
If you choose to do this, then I’ve decided that I won’t continue producing the STEP newsletter on an unpaid basis for online posting only. As I noted in my prior memo, I feel that this change would gut the outreach aspect of STEP, which is core to its intention and design. Online posting only would require a new plan.
AND REQUEST: If you do this cut, I ask that you reallocate the planned funding for the upcoming fiscal year to instead fund:
• Sending a final print STEP newsletter in City water bills as soon as possible. This issue will include a brief information box notifying readers of this program change, and thanking everyone for their participation. Estimated cost $500. (Per Ana Kwong.) I would also appreciate funding for this:
• A printed spiral bound compilation of all STEP issues, with Index, placed in the Sebastopol library. This would archive and offer residents ongoing access to this information. (There are limits to what can be archived on the City website.) Estimated cost $45.
TOTAL REQUEST: $500 - $545
REASONS TO ACCEPT MY PROPOSAL
• This mostly would just reallocate money that the Budget Committee has already allocated for the STEP newsletter. • It’s standard with any print periodical to have a last print issue go out through the same means to reach the same audience, even if they have some customer email addresses. This is the responsible and dignified way to do this transition. • There’s no other means of informing residents of this change in a way that will reach the same audience. For instance, if we sent an announcement just to the City’s email list, it would reach a different set of people. • It’s too late to do a final print STEP issue in the water bills in this fiscal year (FY 22-23), because of the late budget decisionmaking timing of the Council. Thus this completion step requires funding in next year’s budget (FY 23-24). • Without this action, STEP would just disappear from water bills after consistent delivery for 23 years, without explanation. • Having this graceful ending to this project would respect all the people who contributed to this successful project over the past 23 years. This includes the City Council in 2000, who envisioned public education and outreach to reduce our shared toxic exposure; the community members (including myself) who worked countless hours to bring this vision into reality; the City staff who supported this project; and the local residents who reduced their toxic use — and consistently gave STEP an 85-90%+ approval rating.
ADDED POINTS
• The STEP newsletter is inherently ecological, and has succeeded in reducing the local release of toxics that are known to harm ecosystems, wildlife, people, and pets.
• Zero waste doesn’t mean eliminating the use of paper for projects that have other value. It means designing systems to ensure that paper and other waste is reused and/or recycled, and reducing the unnecessary use of materials.
ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES
• If the Council really can’t allocate this small amount to finish the STEP production run with dignity, I could ask local STEP supporters for donations to cover this, to remove cost as the barrier. Therefore, if the Council chooses not to fund my request, I ask that the Council authorize supporter funding of it. Assistant City Manager Mary Gourley would likely know how to do this. • As I understand it, if the budget is not finalized/approved at this meeting, the Council can do an interim expenditures and extension of the current fiscal year (FY 22-23). If you do this, I ask that STEP be clearly included in that extension, to allow the final print issue of STEP to be distributed in the water bills.
Thank you for considering my requests. ~ Patricia Dines