CALIFORNIA
HIGH-SPEED RAIL
AUTHORITY

BRIEFING: JANUARY BOARD MEETING ITEM # 2

TO:

RE:

Date:

FROM:

December 28, 2011

Chairman Umberg and Board Members

Lance Simmens, Deputy Director for Communications

Agenda item #2 / Statewide Communications Restructuring

Proposal

Currently, the public outreach function of the Authority is spread out over ten (10) discernible segments
of the proposed high-speed rail project, encompassing eight (8) different engineering contractors. There
are three (3) primary regions covering the Bay Area, Central Valley, and Southern California. Currently
there are three primary contacts for these regions, all under contract to individual engineering
contractors. The proposal presented here is meant to be considered as an option to issuance of a
statewide communications contract. The concept is to better utilize existing public outreach assets
currently under contract to our engineering partners and augment a more structured field organization
with six additional positions to the compliment currently employed by the Communications office in
Headquarters.

There is currently little direct communication between central headquarters in Sacramento and public
outreach specialists, numbering at least thirty-three (33) in number, other than semi-regular discussions
with the three lead regional contacts identified above. Communication is ad hoc, irregular, not
institutionalized, and there is seemingly little if any accountability between the Communications office
and field operatives, other than regular communication with the three identified regional leads.

As we move from planning to implementation a more highly structured communications organization is
desirable. The current operating system is functional but not optimal. The choices are to either
continue to utilize contracts as a method for performing many of the communications functions
necessary or bring activities in-house with more direct control. Of course the latter course will require
additional personnel resources, but along with accountability I believe significant costs savings can be
realized as well. While staffing up represent a significant challenge in this budget constrained
environment, it also represents an opportunity to implement a two-way flow of communications
through a tighter, streamlined, and more defined set of institutional relationships that directly connect
what is occurring in the field with intelligence, information flow, and messaging from headquarters.
Where there are currently no formal solid lines connecting filed operatives with the Communications
shop at headquarters, the accompanying proposal and organizational chart is intended to better utilize
these important assets in a way that is not disruptive of current reporting relationships. The proposal
offered here is intended to increase and enhance a flow of information from the bottom-up and vice-
versa. Existing relationships on environmental studies and reports and existing relationships with the
Program Management Team are not affected, but instead an additional level of responsibility for

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communications activities is required of current field operatives. It is vitally important that strong
linkages in all facets of the communications structure extend to the critical personnel that are our boots
on the ground.

In order to facilitate a more effective and efficient Communications operation the proposal establishes
three distinct regional communications directors who eventually will contract directly with the Authority
and have budgets attached to the position in order to cover expenses of activities such as hearings,
workshops, meetings, and general public outreach functions. This will require an anticipated budgetary
impact of $600,000 for the three positions and operating expenses. Until such positions are secured and
filled, the proposal envisions maintaining the three primary contacts in the regions (Val Martinez in
Southern California, Bryn Forham in the Central Valley, and Katherine Strehl in the Bay Area) in the
positions of regional communications directors.

The Communications office is presently staffing up for the expected increase in activities projected for
2012 and beyond. Recently we have hired two Press information officers and a part-time retired
annuitant to help the Press Secretary with activities initially projected to be covered by a Statewide
Communications contract (i.e. handling press inquiries, drafting op-eds, letter to the editor).

In order to enhance operation of the office further, the proposal envisions six additional hires including
an Assistant Director to the Deputy Director for Communications (senior public affairs individual to help
with messaging, strategy, and direction of press activities), a seasoned Writer to help with drafting
documents including white papers, messaging and talking points, Congressional and legislative
testimony, a junior level logistics support staffer to handle day-to day any issues involving internal
communications (contracts, technical support), and three public affairs officers to augment activities
within the press operation. These positions would be in addition to the three regional communications
directors previously identified above; meaning that the total request would be nine additional positions
in lieu of a statewide communications contract. By way of comparison Caltrans, with a construction
budget of roughly $10-11 billion has a communications staff of approximately 74 people.

Staff Recommendation: The Authority requests permission from the Board to proceed with establishing
the Communications structure outlined in this proposal.

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