Voting Member Block: Report Out June 2024
The Voting Member Block’s nine-member ad hoc committee met three times over the past month to discuss and draft documents pertaining to the Voting Members Governance Structure, Rules of Order, and Bylaws. These drafts will be presented for approval to the whole Voting Block in mid-June. The ad hoc committee also assisted with outreach to key partners to help fill the vacant seats in Del Norte (three new members have been welcomed) and Lake County.
The ad hoc committee brought forward a proposal to create a five-member executive committee, composed of one member from each county and one seat that is reserved for a liaison from the Tribal Table. There is also discussion of creating dedicated seats on the Block for Equity Council representatives. While not yet approved, the intention behind these developments is to improve cross-communication between tables and build more diversity and shared purpose across the Collaborative’s leadership. The proposal also recommends following Rosenberg’s Rules of Order and a set of bylaws that includes membership, authority, terms of office, meeting types, quorums, and filling vacancies when members leave.
Voting Member Block: Report Out May 2024
The Voting Members gathered in-person at the Bear River Tish-Non Community Center at the end of April. With 21 members present, they started their meeting by approving the Collaborative’s vision statement: "The Redwood Region is a healing place where everyone belongs, with stable jobs, accessible healthcare, and a thriving natural environment. Together, we work towards a future where anyone can thrive."
With the first voting task successfully completed, the group reviewed the work plan for the last leg of the planning phase, including organizational development, preparation for the Catalyst Fund, and the revision of Regional Plan Part 1. The group agreed to form an ad hoc committee, and 10 members agreed to elaborate on the organizational structure, bylaws, and filling vacant seats over the course of three meetings. The processes will then be voted on by the full committee.
Project evaluation is tentatively set to start in September. Before the projects can be evaluated, the rubric needs to be finalized, a team of volunteer scorers needs to be identified, and training of these scorers will need to occur. The Voting Members also reviewed data snapshots for each of the four sectors and how they relate to the strategic plans the Sector Table Coordinators are working on. These two groups also came together to meet one another and understand the intersection of their work in this Collaborative.
Voting Member Block: Report Out April 2024
Voting Members held a separate working session at the end of March. At this working session, Members set a cadence for their group meetings, elected to form a Steering Committee, and deliberated the voting and procedural rules which will be finalized at the end of April. The group further refined Project Rubric Criteria to place greater emphasis on entrepreneurship and the needs of small business, as well as further define "quality jobs" in our region. The group surfaced concerns over inadequate representation of Tribal partners, and how voting rules might account for this-a proposition will be brought forward in subsequent sessions. Lastly, the Voting Members are looking forward to meeting in-person with the Equity Council, Tribal Table, and Sector Tables in April to forge connections and dive deeper into the work for our region.
Voting Member Block Report Out March 2024
After months of following along as Redwood Region RISE has been building and strengthening our Collaborative, the Voting Member Block will start to play a key role for the rest of the Planning Phase and beyond. At our February Collaborative meeting, the Voting Members dove into the work of developing project criteria for job creation, quality, and access in our region.
Our Voting Members led a discussion with representatives from Workforce Development Boards, Job Centers, Major Employers, and Labor Groups. Together, these groups introduced their work and current priorities, and provided feedback to the State’s draft criteria for job quality and access. Many important criteria to ensure job creation, quality, and access were brought forward by these representatives and Voting Members. While many noted that the State’s criteria were a good start, members agreed that our final list of criteria needs to especially take into account the context of (deep) rurality and all its implications.
Voting Members agreed to hold a separate working session at the end of March to dive deeper into what good, accessible jobs mean for our communities, and how we can work together to create these jobs. At this working session, the Voting Members will review the State’s proposed project criteria, review the Equity Council’s project criteria, and discuss concerns from our different Tables, including our Economic Development Finance (EDF) Working Group. The Members will also discuss next steps in RRRISE Development: what should this Collaborative be to add value for our region? What are our leadership needs, voting processes, etc. Members will also discuss their meeting cadence and how to best prepare for the Catalyst pre-development funding. Lastly, the Voting Members are looking forward to meeting in-person with the Equity Council, Tribal Table, and Sector Tables in April to forge connections and dive deeper into the work for our region.