Please ask the MAC applicants these questions Supervisor Miley

Alameda County
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Since Castro Valley Matters started, we’ve researched and written a lot about Municipal Advisory Councils (and their equivalents) and the Castro Valley MAC.

Here’s a sample of some of our stories:

We’ve even created an archive of the Castro Valley MAC’s meeting minutes.

We believe that if you want to be an advocate for greater local control for your community, you need to understand how stuff works. We have also been encouraging you to apply for one of the three openings on the MAC because this is a great place to be an advocate for our community.

On our Facebook page, we asked you to submit questions you think Supervisor Nate Miley should ask the aspiring MAC members at Wednesday’s group interviews. Supervisor Miley appoints all seven members of the Castro Valley MAC.

Below are some of the questions that we collected and have forwarded to Supervisor Miley’s office:

  • Describe three things you love about Castro Valley and three things that you feel need improvement?
  • How would you work to strengthen CV’s assets and improve its shortcomings?
  • What do you want downtown Castro Valley to look like in five years? In ten years? How do we get there?
  • How can Alameda County do a better job in engaging residents in unincorporated communities in key decisions on how to prioritize limited resources?
  • How committed are you to the well-being of Castro Valley’s community?
  • Everyone brings a perspective — some would say filter or even a bias — to a group. What perspective would you bring, and how would that influence the advice you offer to county supervisors?
  • Why do you want to be on the MAC?
  • What role do you see for the MAC in Castro Valley governance and planning?
  • What unique experiences/skillsets can you bring to the MAC?
  • What is the MAC not doing well?
  • What would you do with your MAC appointment that is different from what the current MAC does?
  • Do you think that MAC members should undergo ethics/Brown Act/conflict of interest training?
  • What’s your vision for Castro Valley?
  • Are you a developer?
  • If you had to be elected to the MAC, would you run?
  • How will you engage with Castro Valley residents who have questions or concerns about issues facing Castro Valley?

Are there any missing questions?  Let us know in the comments, on Facebook, or Twitter. #CVMAC

Job well done! Finally, I see hope for CV here in all your diligent and brilliant efforts! Please keep applying this good pressure.

Tonight, at 6PM at the Castro Valley Library, Supervisor Miley and his “cabinet” along with the Chair and Vice-Chair of the MAC will be interviewing 16 candidates for the vacant seats on the MAC. The candidates will be given 30 seconds to tell about themselves and one minute to answer questions. THE PUBLIC IS NOT INVITED! Why is that? This will be the selection of people who will affect Castro Valley and we are not invited. Who are the members of this “cabinet”? And why do they get a say without our input? Spread the word via Facebook, Twitter or any social media at your disposal about what is going in. I am going to show up at 6PM to see the process. Join me tonight at 6PM at the Castro Valley Library.

As per Supervisor Miley’s office: “The interviews are not public to respect the privacy of the candidates that may not be chosen and that this is not an elected position. MAC interviews / any county boards / commissions interviews have never been open to the public.”

Actually, the applicants will have one minute to talk PER QUESTION, not one minute total. The questioning part of the process is scheduled to take about two hours. Small, but crucial detail…

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