Staff from Nevada County's Executive Office (CEO) attended the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) conference earlier this month to present on Nevada County initiatives and programs.
ICMA is the world's leading association of professional city and county managers and other employees who serve local governments, consisting of more than 12,000 members.
Mali Dyck, Assistant County Executive Officer, presented on a panel with other local jurisdictions from the City of Rockhill, South Carolina and Canandaigua, New York on community surveys.
"It was great to represent successful Nevada County initiatives and programs on an international stage," said Mali Dyck, Assistant County Executive Officer. "Nevada County strives towards creating innovative public policy and being a leader in citizen engagement. It was great to share our successes while learning about how other jurisdictions are making improvements as well."
In the summer of 2017, Nevada County worked with National Research Center to conduct its first National Citizen Survey. The survey covers resident opinions on community characteristics, governance, and participation, with additional policy questions added that are specific to Nevada County. The County plans to conduct its second Citizen Survey in 2020.
Taylor Wolfe, Administrative Analyst, facilitated a group discussion on resident education programs on government structure and services, similar to Nevada County's Citizen's Academy. Nearly 40 participants discussed their current and future programs, what works and what didn't.
Nevada County's Citizen's Academy is a ten week class, covering topics from Information Technology to Public Safety, that provides its participants with insight on local Government operations and the diverse services that help support a healthy, safe and vibrant community. To date, Nevada County has over 100 graduates of the program and more than 3 times the applicants than the normal class size. To accommodate its increasing popularity, the County plans to begin hosting two Citizen's Academy annually, beginning in the spring of 2020.
In addition to presenting at the international conference, CEO staff attended presentations on topics such as outreach for the 2020 Census, how to create a successful podcast to connect with residents, economic development strategies, and engaging residents in planning affordable housing projects.
