Board Retreat August 2008
Paula Cracium, Porter Ranch Neighborhood Council Vice President

The PRNC held a planning retreat on August 16, 2008 to identify objectives for the coming year. The overall theme was identifying the board's role in assisting the stakeholders of Porter Ranch to improve the community. The budget will be focused on community outreach through various techniques. Each board member identified their personal areas of interest and committee assignments.

The Porter Ranch Neighborhood Council identified its new direction with two key elements at a planning retreat in August: to serve as a conduit for stakeholders and to use the budget primarily for outreach.

After some discussion the Board concluded that our primary role is to serve as a conduit for stakeholders, helping you make Porter Ranch a better place to live, work and grow. The Board is all volunteer and has limited time to tackle Porter Ranch improvements single-handedly. However, we are able to assist stakeholders by identifying the right City employees to address concerns. The conduit role goes both ways: to bring stakeholder concerns to the City and Councilman and to bring City issues to the stakeholders.

The Board has struggled with the best use of the budget it controls. Should the funds be used for direct community improvements or outreach? How much can you improve a community with $50,000? The Board has used the funds to provide equipment for fireman and policemen serving Porter Ranch, for equipment for Castlebay Elementary school’s students, for shade covering for Holleigh Bernson Park, for sidewalk cleaning and for local outreach events and communications.

While there are many worthy improvements to be made in Porter Ranch, the Board decided that the best use of funds is to reach out to stakeholders to enable greater participation by the community in its improvements as a whole, thereby leveraging the Board’s money and the community’s influence.