Host: City of Newman
Region: Central California
Openings: 1
Project Focus: Climate Mitigation, Public Health, Transportation / Mobility, Urban Planning, Water Management, Water Policy
Skills Needed: Community Engagement, Project Management, Community Outreach, Stakeholder Engagement, Communication, Self-Motivated

Service Needs & Plans

The City of Newman’s Planning Department is a small and mighty office working to address its residents mobility, active transportation, and pedestrian safety needs. Having an additional staff to track and manage project efforts for outreach and engagement, will support the goals and success for the planning project.

The project will identify and assess community mobility issues, opportunities for active transportation, and green infrastructure options to address stormwater runoff as part of proposed improvements to the built environment.

Project Description

1. Overarching goals of the project

The project focus is to consider opportunities to improve the pedestrian environment for students and residents along the major corridors of downtown Newman, and provide multi-benefit multi-modal connectivity between the schools corridor and other multimodal infrastructure investments already existing in Newman. The City of Newman and CivicWell, will conduct a participatory, multifaceted community engagement process to identify strategies to improve safety, mitigate impacts to adjacent property occupants, and promote active modes of transportation. The project team will engage residents, businesses and property owners, and commuters in developing solutions that address their needs and values.

2. Role of the Fellow in the project

The CivicSpark Fellow will support the project team with planning the community outreach efforts and carrying out engagement events. The fellow will also have a significant role with project management and coordination. The City may also assign additional research tasks related to low impact development design options, stormwater management strategies, and community park equipment and maintenance.

3. Desired project outcomes in terms of resources developed (e.g., reports,
plans, networks, etc.)

The project outcome include development and adoption of the community connectivity plan, as well as convening an advisory group comprised of local residents and community members who can continue meeting after the plan adoption if desired and needed.

4. How these resources will help increase the agency’s capacity to address the resilience challenges you described in the previous section. *

The community connectivity plan will provide the city with a list of community developed and support active transportation and corridor improvement projects which make it easier for the city to prepare for and submit an application for implementation funding, such as the Caltrans implementation grants.

Desired Skills

The traits and skills ideal for this project are someone with experience or familiarity with meeting management, facilitation, and note-taking, event planning, event management, community outreach and engagement practices. Graphic design tools like Canva or InDesign, and social media platforms, survey design and question development skills are a plus.

Organization & Community Highlights

The City of Newman, California prides itself on fostering a workplace culture and environment that promotes justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. The organization is committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere for employees and the community at large.
In terms of justice, the City of Newman ensures fair treatment and equal opportunities for all individuals, irrespective of their backgrounds or identities. Equity is another core value embraced by the City of Newman. They actively work to eliminate disparities and ensure that resources and opportunities are distributed fairly. Diversity is celebrated and valued within the City of Newman. They recognize that a diverse workforce and community, lead to better decision making and richer fuller cultural exchange. Inclusion is a key component of the City of Newman’s workplace culture. The organization values different perspectives and encourages collaboration, teamwork, and mutual respect.
Serving with the City of Newman will provide excellent professional development experience. Employees are encouraged to expand their skills and knowledge, and their contributions are recognized and rewarded.
Furthermore, the City of Newman is an interesting place to live and work. The community is known for its friendly and welcoming atmosphere, where neighbors support one another.

Remote or On-Site Placement

On-site