www.nctimes.com

Bilingual city employees help serve diverse San Marcos population

By: DAVID STERRETT - Staff Writer

SAN MARCOS ---- On any given day, Ronie Martinez said she helps at least five or six residents who speak only Spanish get information about a variety of city services, requirements or programs.

Martinez, who works in the city's crime-prevention unit, is one of more than 30 bilingual city employees, and she knows the importance of helping residents who don't speak much English.

As a child growing up in Encinitas in the early 1970s, Martinez served as a translator for her parents who spoke mainly Spanish when they went to the doctor, met her teachers or needed something at City Hall.


The role of bilingual public employees such as Martinez in effectively communicating with the people they serve has been a focus of attention in Vista recently following three fatal shootings in less than a week by sheriff's deputies. While the men who were killed spoke English, all were Latino and none of the deputies serving Vista is bilingual.

At San Marcos City Hall, Martinez said those who speak only Spanish don't need to worry about being able to communicate because there are employees who will help them find what they need.

"It's very rewarding to help serve the community," said Martinez. "I've been with the city of San Marcos for 16 years, and in the past maybe somebody would need help once a week. Now probably once every hour someone calls, comes in or sends an e-mail or fax in Spanish."

Bilingual incentives

Latinos make up about 40 percent of this growing city of 73,000 residents while about 13 percent of the 195 city staff members receive pay for being bilingual, said Deputy City Manager Lois Navolt. She said 25 employees receive bilingual pay, but there are also several bilingual department heads and firefighters who don't receive the extra pay under the terms of labor agreements.

City Manager Rick Gittings noted many Latinos speak English, and he said the city hires the most qualified candidates and does not have a set target for the number of bilingual employees.

"The whole quota mentality has been proven not to be very effective," Gittings said. "I think as long as we are able to comfortably serve those who don't speak English we have met our objective."

Gittings said the city has employees in each department who can help translate for those who speak mainly Spanish. Not every engineer or public works employee needs to speak Spanish if the person sitting next to them is bilingual, he said.

"It is important to have enough bilingual speakers to be able to serve the public, and the employees need to be in the right locations," Gittings said. "We are not much different than the business community in that we want to have the capacity to quickly communicate with our constituents."

Gittings said the number of bilingual employees in San Marcos has increased in his more than 20 years with the city.

As part of a labor agreement that went into effect at the beginning of 2004, bilingual employees who pass a short oral test receive an extra $35 a month for their skills, said Navolt.

"Before the incentive, people who knew Spanish still helped translate when needed," Navolt said. "But the incentive is a thank you to them because we know all they do."

The city of Vista also rewards bilingual employees, said Assistant City Manager Rick Dudley, who is bilingual.

He said about 39 percent of Vista's 95,500 residents are Latino, and between 10 percent and 15 percent of the city's 300 or so employees are bilingual.

The city has seven general employee positions and four maintenance slots that receive extra pay for being bilingual, and the city rotates people into those positions.

The general employee positions receive an additional $70 a month and the maintenance positions get an extra $35 a month.

The city rotates who receives the extra pay because the people in those positions have to spend more time translating than other positions, Dudley said.

"It comes down to how best to serve the community," Dudley said. "I know there are people who say to us they should learn English and there is a lot to be said about that.

"But on the other hand if your business is to provide services to the community and you aren't able to do it because of a language barrier, you are not providing the services. "

Meeting community needs

San Marcos resident Jose Escobedo is one of those who has taken advantage of the city's bilingual services. He lives in the western part of San Marcos on La Mirada Drive, and he has taken a strong interest in his community despite not being comfortable using his limited English.

On Wednesday night, Escobedo sat with his wife, Maria, in the back row of the City Council chambers as the Community Services Commission reviewed plans for a proposed 19-acre park near their home.

City employee Bebe Nares sat with the couple and translated what commissioners said during the meeting and answered their questions.

Escobedo is one of many Spanish speakers who has given input during planning for the proposed Poinsettia Park. He was also part of a neighborhood group that effectively lobbied the city to reduce the speed limit on La Mirada Drive several years ago.

"One hundred percent of Spanish speakers feel comfortable going to the city (San Marcos City Hall)," Escobedo said in Spanish to his daughter Cynthia, who translated. "The city could always try to provide more information to Spanish speakers, but overall they have done very well."

The city does everything possible to include all groups of people, said Assistant Community Services Director Craig Sargent-Beach, who is bilingual.

Sargent-Beach said he learned Spanish as a kid when his family took yearly trips to Mexico. He said he uses his Spanish about 10 times a month on the job.

Many times residents who speak only Spanish will come to the Community Services Department to reserve park space for events or to sign up for different Community Service programs, Sargent-Beach said.

But he said about half of those who speak only Spanish come to the Community Services Department looking for another type of service such as a health clinic or the county offices.

City Clerk Susie Vasquez, whose first language was Spanish, said she helps many people who come into City Hall looking for the school district or Internal Revenue Service.

Vasquez said she doesn't qualify for the city's bilingual employee incentive because she is a department head, but she still takes the time to help those who speak only Spanish with whatever they need.

"One gentleman had never been in an elevator before and he was scared to death," said Vasquez, whose office is near the elevator needed to go to the school district or IRS offices. "I got in the elevator and showed him how it worked."

Vasquez said she doesn't mind filling in whenever needed, and Sargent-Beach said "the most important thing is to provide everyone the opportunity to participate."

City employees such as Martinez said they try to provide as much information as possible in Spanish.

Martinez serves as a translator at neighborhood watch meetings throughout the city and she said the city provides safety tips to residents and also educates them about topics such as stormwater runoff.

"We are trying to get the word out to all San Marcos residents," Martinez said.

Martinez said she has helped people find out what they need to get building permits or how to apply for the city's low income housing program.

For all of her efforts, Martinez said she has been offered a lot of homemade burritos or tortillas.

"They are very appreciative," Martinez said. "I also think once one person comes and gets an answer they will spread the word to their neighbors who have similar concerns or problems."