CITY
OF SANTA
CLARA
Mayor Judy Nadler
Santa Clara's City Hall
Open House Informs, Entertains
On May 3 this year a large,
enthusiastic crowd gathered on the Santa Clara City Hall grounds for the third
annual City Hall Open House. The "kick-off" event for National Public Service
Recognition Week, the Open House was conceived by Santa Clara Mayor Judy Nadler
as a way to increase citizens’ familiarity with their local government through
participation in an enjoyable public event.
The Open House, held on a
Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m., features informational booths from
every City Department, as well as booths created by various community service
clubs and organizations. City equipment is displayed along the street in front
of City Hall, and citizens are able to get a close look at fire engines, police
vehicles, dump trucks and other apparatus. Exciting public safety demonstrations
feature the police canines, motorcycle riding, and firefighters rappelling from
a truck’s ladder extended high into the sky. A highlight is a street landing by
an emergency services helicopter, followed by a simulated rescue by its
crew.
Local youth and senior groups
provide music, dancing and other entertainment, and there are special visits by
celebrities such as Yogi and Boo Boo Bear of Paramount’s Great America, which is
located in Santa Clara, and several San Francisco ‘49ers football team alumni
from the nearby ‘49ers training camp. Other Open House highlights include a
Youth Commission treasure hunt and activities for kids, guided tours of City
Hall, food booths, a bicycle tour of historic Santa Clara, and a live broadcast
from the Open House by a local radio station.
Santa Clara’s annual City Hall
Open House was launched in 1995 as the main event of the City’s Public Service
Recognition Week. The Open House was held on the day of the Kiwanis and Lions
Clubs’ annual Fish Derby, a day on which children fish for trout stocked in a
pool located behind City Hall. In 1996, the Santa Clara Arts and Historical
Consortium decided to hold its annual Arts Fest on the day of the City Hall Open
House, and the Triton Museum of Art decided to hold its Family Day on the same
day as well. These two arts events take place on the grounds of the museum
across the street from City Hall, and visitors may wander from one event to
another. All of the events, offered at no cost to the public, are promoted in
several local newspapers and City publications, and in colorful fliers
distributed to school children. A local newspaper wrote of the City Hall
celebration, "There’s so much to do at this annual extravaganza, you won’t know
where to begin!"
City Hall Open House was
developed to inform the public about City and community programs and services,
to encourage their participation in them, to enable citizens to meet their local
government representatives and employees, and to determine the level of citizen
satisfaction with programs and services. Government representatives on hand to
meet their constituents have included Mayor Nadler and members of the City
Council, the City’s Board and Commission members, and county, state and federal
legislators. Among community groups taking part in the Open House are Santa
Clara’s community college and Santa Clara University, the Chamber of Commerce,
the Humane Society and sports groups.
At the event, citizens are
encouraged to participate in their local government. Information is provided on
voter registration and there are sign-ups for the City’s volunteer program,
Board and Commission service, the adult literacy program, new library cards, and
more.
Each year’s Open House features
special City projects. In 1996, the City’s new, one-stop Permit Center for
individuals and businesses was highlighted. Citizens were invited to tour the
facility and use the computer system to obtain information on their residential
or business property. This year, citizen participation in the new “Leadership
Santa Clara” program was encouraged by the Mayor in her Open House
presentation.
Citizen response to the City
Hall Open House has been enthusiastic. A local newspaper, the Santa Clara Valley
Weekly, reported a “tremendous” turnout for this year’s event. One City employee
commented that the Open House is "a great opportunity to meet the people we
serve. We consider it an integral part of our public outreach program." A
participant observed that the event is "good for community public relations. It
provides a ‘small town’ feel which is very refreshing."
Mayor Nadler sees the Open House
as a cost-effective way to inform residents about City government and related
services and to entertain them at the same time. City Departments’ ingenuity and
resourcefulness are key to putting on a successful event at minimal cost, she
says.
Information on Santa Clara’s
City Hall Open House is available from Senior Staff Aide Susan Landers at (408)
984-3165.
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