Public Administration and City Planning - Business Plan Example

Public Administration & City Planning

Introduction

Having faced the severest drought in more than two decades, and still in the middle of that dry spell, the City of Wayward Pines, Idaho has seen its water levels and reserves dwindle and supply tighten amid the drying out of water sources. As at present, the city's water reservoirs are only at 50% of their capacity, though rationing is yet to begin, the current reserves are expected to last the city for only the next 12 – 15 weeks. This development has led to the creation of the special task force that shall look into some issues and factors and make a range of recommendations to the council.

Goals of the task force

The task force created by the city council shall comprise of the chairperson, the vice chair, the secretary and several members who have extensive knowledge in the management of natural resources, key among them water resources. The task force has been tasked with some objectives and responsibilities regarding the current crisis facing Wayward Pines. For one, the task force is expected to invite all stakeholders from community leaders to community residents and to other interested parties as well as civil society members to deliberate on the issue. Also among the goals of the task force is to deliberate on the methodology of averting the imminent crisis regarding the shortage and eventual catastrophe if the crisis is not adequately addressed.

Our special task force is also charged with outlining the worst case scenarios that can be expected if the current crisis is not fully addressed and its consequences mitigated. Other than this, the task force, in its deliberations, and after that, is expected to forward recommendations to the city council on how to manage the shortage as it currently as. Also, the task force shall present proposed solutions and possible points of action on the alternative sources of water for the city of Wayward Pines to the city council. Similarly, the task force is expected to outline the estimated period the water supply could last the resident in the case of normal, reduced and greatly rationed supply and to determine which scenario would best suit the city. For the task force, ensuring a recurrence of this scenario does not occur would also be a key objective.

Also to be carried out by the taskforce is the urging of community members to reduce their water usage and to adopt water conservation practices to help manage the scarce resource in the city. For the task force, key responsibilities will also include the seeking of ideas and opinions on how to source alternative supply and how to adequately manage the current supply which is greatly dwindling. Finally, the task force shall also bear the responsibility of appealing to the members of the community to exercise great restraint in the use of water resources and to reduce their water consuming activities such as car washing or lawn sprinkling and to recycle as much water as possible from their activities to help reduce the impact of the shortage.

Invitations to Join the Taskforce

With the main intention of involving as many people as possible, this task force shall draw extensively from the contributions of participants. In such a democratic society, as Ledwith (2011) posits, the best method of leadership to ensure maximum impact from the taskforce's deliberations would be the bottom-up approach. For this reason, some stakeholders shall be invited to present their views to the task force e. For one, the civil society members, especially those who deal in large part with natural resources, shall be invited for their input in the deliberations process will be of key importance. Also to be included in the deliberations shall be the community opinion leaders who tend to shape the course of action in the community and whose influence would be vital in the implementation of the taskforce's recommendations in the community.

Further invitations shall be extended to scientists, members of the academic call and individuals who possess extensive knowledge and interest in the management of natural resources of the community. The input of this group would be vital in helping sift fears and fiction from facts and reality as well as inform the best possible course of action, as is observed by Rondinelli (2013). It would also be vital to invite natural resource managers from other cities who have had experience in dealing with shortages of resources such as water. Their experiences and knowledge would be critical in the formulation of reactions to this imminent crisis. Also, each interested party in the affected community shall be invited forth to present their views and wishes to the task force. Another necessary group of persons to be invited to present their opinions to the task force shall be political leaders who tend to carry away with the communities in Wayward Pines.

Taking into Account the Diverse Interest

During the deliberations on the issue at hand, the task force shall be responsible for listening to, and recording the contributions of each at the hearings to be carried out in several town hall sessions within different city neighborhoods. Considering that the city and the country at large are democratic in nature, while the majority shall have their way, the minority shall be allowed to have a say. On key contentious issues such as the possible rationing of water to the households of the city as well as the possible increase of costs of services to cater for additional water purchase, where need be Schneeweiss (2012) advises, it would be important to put issues to a vote by the members of the taskforce governing panel. This would help create the support required for such a decision as it would be informed by the wishes of the people. To be representative of the population; however, the task force shall need to include representatives from all segments of the city population.

Similarly, to include all views and opinions, the task force shall deliberate on issues with the input and advice of experts to ensure that the most rational and best possible actions are taken rather than just populist opinions. To ensure the residents come on board with proposals that are not popular, civic education would be important. It is highly likely that residents would be opposed to any ideas of rationing water supplied to their households to stretch out the supply as alternative sources are sought. Because of this, it would be necessary to carry out a campaign, through civic education, aimed at demonstrating the need for such an action, should it be determined so by the task force.

Preliminary Research Agenda

For this task force, the research to be carried out shall be tailored according to some guiding agenda. First, the research should be aimed at estimating the total number of households in the city and their daily, weekly and monthly consumption of water. Their composition and the patterns of consumptions should also be determined. This data collection and corroboration would be most important, according to Birkland (2014) in informing the deliberations and decisions that would follow. The second agenda for the task force would be to determine the possible ways by which the consumption patterns of the residents, having been established could be reduced through some ways including better and more efficient use, rationing and even recycling of water used in the domestic settings.

Concerning the agenda for the task force, the determination of alternative sources of water would be important. This would go a long way in helping assure the city of supply of the critical resource even beyond the depletion of the current reserves. Another agenda would be to deliberate on the possible management of wetlands and water towers that feed the city dams and reservoirs to reduce the recurrence of such a shortage. It would also be necessary to include among the agenda, the plan to build a newer and bigger reservoir to feed the water needs of the residents living in Wayward Pines.

Other agendas to be included in the deliberations and research carried out by the task force include the seeking of intervention from the state government in dealing with the crisis if the recommendations of these deliberations fail. It would be imperative to invoke the help needed from the governor's office if the shortage continues and that the measures recommended herein fail to mitigate the effects of this crisis. Should all these fails, it would be wise to seek the help of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Community Announcements and Outreach

Over the last four months, there has been no rainfall to adequately replenish the water sources that feed the city. Caused by the drought, this shortage in rainfall has led to a depletion of the water reserves of our great city and now only 50% of the dams and reserves' capacities are left. This we forecast shall only last the city for the next 12 – 15 weeks, during which period alternative water supply should be sought. Due to this urgent need to address the looming water crisis in the city of Wayward Pines, therefore, the office of the city council at this moment seeks to invite all stakeholders to a round of deliberations that shall be carried out by a special task force.

Set up to gather information and make recommendations on the necessary steps to be carried out by the city in response to the crisis, the task force shall require your input. Because of this, all members of public are invited to a town hall session that shall be held at a venue near you. For more information on when the task force shall be listening to views and taking recommendations in your area, kindly get in touch with your council person's office. You should also seek to register to be considered among the members of the panel who will be given the opportunity to air their views on the issues to be deliberated on.

Agenda for the Meetings

Among the most important agenda to be discussed at the meeting is the water consumption of residents. To this effect, the task force, through concerted and joint efforts with community leaders and scientists shall seek to plead with residents to embrace conservationist efforts in their consumption of the critical resources, and where possible to reduce such consumption to help conserve the resource. By reducing the daily per capita consumption by just a fraction, the resource could last the city a couple more weeks. It will also be of vital importance to seek ways of recycling the resource where possible to be used for other purposes.

Expansion of the water resources, as well as reserves, is also on the agenda to be discussed in the meetings during the taskforce's deliberations with the residents of Wayward Pines. These discussions would involve the construction of a second bigger dam to act as a reservoir for more water to be used by residents. The second dam would also help relieve the pressure and strain on the first dam caused by the growth of the population. Alternative sources of water such as the drilling of more boreholes and even the possible import of water from neighboring counties shall also be discussed in this respect.

In the meetings, the agenda shall also include the management of wetlands and water towers to aid effectively in the conservation of water sources that feed the city reservoirs. As to this effect, the input of scientists and environmental conservation experts would be invaluable, as posits Lackey (2007, p. 13) in his study of public policy advocacy. This agenda would be important in helping to mitigate the effects of such future incidences for the residents of the city of Wayward Pines.

Recommendations from the Taskforce

Given the urgency of these deliberations, the recommendations from the task force shall need to be handed over to the city council with utmost haste. Informed by this need for haste; therefore, the task force shall be deliberating on the key issues outlined in the agenda within two weeks at the most. After the end of the deliberations, the findings of the meetings with stakeholders shall be subjected to a review by a select committee of the task force which shall summarize the findings of the process and then present them to the task force chairperson within two weeks. Upon receipt of the recommendations of the process from the select committee, the task force chairperson shall then hand over the findings to the city council for implementation and appropriate action.

Once the city council shall have received the report of the deliberations along with the summarized recommendations and action points, they would have three weeks within which to implement them. First, would be the rationing of the water supply expected to take effect immediately the report is received by the city council, and within four weeks of the deliberations. Second, would be the seeking of alternative sources of water for the city, expected to start soon after the onset of the rationing plan and to continue well into the following months. Finally, the construction of the bigger reservoir which is expected to take off soon after the accessing of new sources of water for the city shall begin.

Feedback on recommendations

Upon receiving the recommendations of the task force, the city council shall be expected to publish these on the local media to allow and invite the feedback of residents, as advised by McGregor, Camfield & Woodcock (2009, p. 135). This publication of the findings and recommendations of the task force is intended to allow for transparency and to give credibility to the process of initiating change within the community. The feedback provided by the members of the community, where possible, as Dunn (2015) suggests, could be used to improve processes and where not, could be incorporated in similar future processes.

The feedback received on the recommendations and findings of the task force could also be used to assess the popularity and acceptance of the policy actions recommended therein. This would be instrumental in designing policy actions that affect and influence more individual community members. Each feedback offered to the council by members of the public shall offer an insight into the reactions of the individuals affected by the actions informed by the findings and subsequent recommendations of the task force deliberating the water shortage.

Media Coverage and Public Relations

An important aspect of accountability in any process, the coverage of the media would be vital to the task force in the process of developing action plans for the city council. As Mansuri & Rao (2012) find out, the popularization of community initiatives and projects tends to create a sense of openness, transparency, and accountability. Informed by this, the process of deliberations shall be carried out in public and the media shall be invited to cover the plenary sessions to ensure that as many residents of Wayward Pines, as possible access the deliberations, recommendations and action plans devised after that.

By using the media, the task force could reap considerable benefits in the deliberations process, drumming support for its findings and proposed action plans by repetitive persuasion on the numerous media outlets to be involved. In the public relations front, the media coverage shall also be important as it would increase the access of the city residents to the task force and that of the task force to the residents. Other public relations initiatives such as participation and involvement in community programs would be key in helping endear the task force to the city residents and thereby aid in the collection of the most honest feedbacks and opinions of the city residents on the proposals and action plans of the task force as well as the recommendations forwarded to the city council.

City Council Decisions

With adequate feedback having been received and considered by the city council, and in light of the recommendations of the Special Taskforce on the Water Shortage in Wayward Pines, the most appropriate course of action would be three-pronged. On the first front would be the gradual but sustained rationing of water supplied to the city residents in order to stretch out the supply for as long as possible as alternative sources are sought. Second would be the sourcing for alternative water supply to reinforce the current dwindling supplies. This step would involve consultations with neighboring counties and cities to seek ways of boosting the current reserves. Also to be involved in this step would be the drilling of boreholes to seek more water to reinforce the current supply. Finally, the council would undertake to build a new reservoir with a bigger capacity to serve the city in the coming days. This would be important both for the present use as it would boost the reserves and for the future as it would take into account the growth of the city population.