The ombudsperson assists residents in their interactions with Midpen and facilitates conflict resolution when needed.
Please contact Midpen staff first to ask questions or address any concerns. Contact us at info@openspace.org. Emails are answered within two working days.
General Information about the Ombudsperson
The ombudsperson is an appointee of the board of directors who follows up on resident and neighbor inquiries or complaints to attempt and resolve misunderstandings or conflicts that have not been resolved satisfactorily by Midpen staff. The ombudsperson works independently and objectively to assist in maintaining positive relations with Midpen residents and neighbors.
Duties of the Ombudsperson
- Listen to resident concerns
- Open avenues of communication between residents and neighbors and Midpen
- Gather information and educate residents on Midpen policies or procedures and their purpose or effect
- Facilitate conflict resolution
- Find other resources to meet resident needs, if applicable
- Provide a written summary of citizen concerns as requested by the board of directors
How the Ombudsperson Process Works
If contacted, the ombudsperson will contact the general manager before taking further action. If the general manager is not able to resolve the concern/complaint to the citizen’s satisfaction, the ombudsperson will follow-up with the citizen for further resolution efforts.
If the initial contact from a citizen were a board member, the board member will immediately contact the general manager. If the general manager is not able to resolve the concern/complaint to the citizen’s satisfaction, they will inform the citizen of Midpen's ombudsperson process and will request that the ombudsperson contact the complainant to offer further assistance.
After completing all inquiry and resolution efforts the ombudsperson would then report back to the general manager and provide a written summary report for the board of directors
Responsibilities of the Ombudsperson
The ombudsperson presents facts that may lead the board or staff to improve operations or better address citizen needs, as opposed to advocating either for or against a resident, staff or board policy. The ombudsperson does not establish or recommend Midpen policy, or affect or make fiscal or budgetary decisions. The ombudsperson does not handle issues that are privileged or confidential, or which involve personnel, labor relations, legal matters, or board decisions.
How to Contact Midpen and the Ombudsperson
Please contact staff first to ask questions or address any concerns. Contact Midpen at info@openspace.org. Emails are answered within two working days.
If necessary, the board appointed ombudsperson, will be available to assist you further.
Note: e-mail sent to the ombudsperson will also be forwarded to the appropriate staff and general manager. They will attempt to resolve the concern and notify the ombudsperson of the status. If staff is not able to resolve the concern, the ombudsperson will then contact the citizen and attempt to resolve the issue.