In early February, I showed up in Monterey for Cal Cities' City Managers Conference. This annual gathering of city managers from across the State was the last conference I had attended in 2020 before COVID locked down the world. Returning in person had a certain symbolic value that seemed to mean a lot to those attending. The crowd was jubilant and there were times it felt like people were waking up for the first time in a while as they walked the halls of the conference center.

I had a blast. Some bright and ambitious members of the Tripepi Smith team rallied to support the firm, our clients and the logistics for all our conference activities. The week was a whirlwind, but as I tell the team each year, “this is our Super Bowl, let’s go out and crush it.” Team Tripepi Smith won again.

That week also seemed to be a turning point for many. Shortly after, we saw some states dropping masking requirements and lifting other restrictions. Society appears ready to move into the endemic phase, and in some circles, the focus groups and polling are signaling that political science is jumping in the driver’s seat. The actual Super Bowl - with numerous camera shots of the rich and famous flaunting the mask rules - really sealed the deal. This Tweet from Supervisor Janice Hahn summed it up:

The Supervisor’s reference to losing the trust of the people is worthy of noting. Trust in government has eroded significantly. Local governments would be wise to use their closer connection to residents to repair trust and have open discussions on what we know now that we wish we had known in February 2020. County health officers would be wise to acknowledge that some policies were right and some wrong. 

A lot of trust can be earned by acknowledging mistakes. That is true in relationships. It is true for our institutions. Honesty is the best policy.

Truly Yours,