Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and ILG’s 2016-17 Board Chair Henry Gardner talk about the coming 2020 US Census, the importance of a complete count and critical need for partnerships with culturally competent local community based organizations.

In spite of the economic downturn and the loss of redevelopment dollars, the City of San Jose has been able to sustain a level of community engagement through a Neighborhood Council which helps steer economic development priorities in underserved neighborhoods. The city council has now made the Neighborhood Council a permanent part of its decision-making process.

In an effort to create a comprehensive economic development strategy for the region, Humboldt County engaged more than 450 stakeholders ranging from business owners and elected officials to community members, education professionals and tribal leaders.

Ten years after a highly publicized corruption scandal, the City of South Gate is implementing a visionary general plan that seeks to develop a healthy, inclusive and economically vibrant community that is rich in community participation and transparency. The city invested almost one million dollars to develop the plan, which included extensive community participation. As a result of the robust public engagement process and the visionary updated general plan, South Gate has received numerous grants to support its implementation and related projects.

Local agencies across California can and do partner with local ethnic media outlets to engage and inform residents who turn to ethnic media as their primary source of news. The National Online Directory of Ethnic Media, the most comprehensive listing of ethnic media, can help local officials identify media outlets by city, language, ethnicity, and media type.