Important note: the following recommendation was approved by the Board of Supervisors on June 6, 2017:

PROJECT SUMMARY

DISTRICT 2 (Supervisor Carole Groom) FY 2016-17 Request

One-Time Grant of $5,000 in Measure K Funds to the Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center (PCRC)

This is a request to authorize an agreement with the Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center (PCRC) to sponsor the 4th annual ADRx: Bridging the Divides event. The proposed agreement will be administered and managed by the County Manager’s Office.

On Friday, June 9, 2017, the San Mateo-based Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center (PCRC) will present its 4th annual ADRx event titled “Bridging the Divides” at Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont. The event will feature experts in their fields sharing strategies through which they have bridged divides in their communities. The title of the event refers to “Alternative Dispute Resolution.”

Last year’s event was very successful, with a full audience of 150 attendees hailing from all over San Mateo County, and this year’s event is expected to be powerful and successful once again.

In the last year, more than ever before, PCRC has been met with growing demand for its expertise in dialogue and deliberation, relationship building, and bridging differing perspectives. Community members and organizations are seeking solutions for alleviating tensions and strengthening relationships.

Because of this growing interest, PCRC had decided to work with our collaborative partners to convene a series of regional Strengthening Communities Summit in 2017. This action summit would bring together a broad spectrum of participants to identify and share their best thinking about how to address some of the region’s most pressing social issues: violence prevention, community relations, political divides, and racial healing. This series will be launched on Friday, June 9, PCRC will present “Bridging the Divides” Event. This event brings together thought leaders within San Mateo County to make connections and inspire. In a series of short and compelling presentations, our speakers will share their stories and insights on improving communication and understanding across differences through education, interfaith dialogue, government policy and civic engagement. We anticipate this to be the first of a series of county convenings we will coordinate this year, in collaboration with many of you. Breakfast, network opportunities, compelling speakers, and inspiring call to action will all be components of the 3-hour event, warming up to 2-half days in the Fall.

The sponsorship of the event with contribute to the positive vision of PCRC – building a strong, resilient, and collaborative community that deals effectively with dispute resolution and bridging the divides that exist in our communities. The total cost of the event is $15,000. The County’s $5,000 sponsorship through this Measure K request will fund a portion of the event, and remaining costs will be funded by the following

sponsors: the Divided Communities Project, the Littlefield Foundation, and individual/anonymous donors. PCRC continues to secure additional sponsors for the event as well.

The contacts at the Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center are Malissa Netane and Michelle Vilchez. Their phone number is 650-513-0330 and their emails are mnetane@pcrcweb.org and mvilchez@pcrcweb.org.

Total request: $5,000

The funds are to be disbursed to the Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center (PCRC) for these purposes.

The release of funds will be contingent on the execution of an agreement providing for the County’s confirmation of the expenditure of funds during FY 2016-17 for the purposes stated herein.

Important note: this is a copy of the official Board report.