State Water Board tests community‑partner model in Southwestern Tulare County

The State Water Resources Control Board has launched a pilot that pays trusted locals to work on drinking‑water outreach and project support in communities that lack the capacity to run or respond to conventional grant processes.

Rachel Wittenberg of the board’s Office of Public Engagement, Equity and Tribal Affairs described the “community partner” model to the SAFER advisory group. The pilot partners a technical assistance provider that already holds a state contract — called the funding partner — with community members or very small local groups who would not otherwise be able to receive state grants directly.

"We're really looking for someone who is that local community champion," Wittenberg said. The community partner role is intended to be flexible: candidates can be single residents or informal neighborhood groups who already have local trust and networks, and who can liaise between residents, technical teams and agencies.

How it will work: the funding partner will recruit and contract the community partners, provide onboarding and basic training, and handle invoicing and state reporting. The board said Stantec Consulting Services will act as the first funding partner and will test recruitment, job descriptions, training modules, and methods for compensating community partners for outreach, attendance promotion, bilingual engagement, and input on local materials.

Why the model: Board staff said the pilot is designed to reach communities that are difficult to serve through conventional grant programs and to build community capacity so local voices are represented during feasibility and planning work. The approach aims to accelerate projects by surfacing cultural and logistical barriers earlier in project design and by increasing trust through people who already are known locally.

Pilot deliverables: staff said the pilot will produce recruitment templates, an orientation guide, training modules, a library of outreach materials, and a lessons‑learned report to refine the model before bringing additional funding partners on board.

Next steps: Stantec will recruit two to three community partners in southwestern Tulare County. Staff said they will evaluate whether the funding pass‑through approach — a TA provider distributing pay to community partners — is administratively feasible for other TA providers and whether a third‑party administrative model may be needed to handle invoicing and insurance.

Board staff invited advisory members to suggest trusted local organizations or individuals for the pilot and to flag likely barriers — including limited local internet access, immigration concerns and language needs — that the pilot should address.