Public Involvement Equals Big Business

For many citizens the term “public involvement” evokes images of (1) going to an occasional neighborhood meeting regarding some government-sponsored construction or other public works project, and/or (2) donating some time to the community (e.g. cleaning parks, providing assistance to persons with disabilities).

While these basic grass roots concepts in some form are the basis of public involvement, their very prevalence in our society have evolved into an industry involving the expenditure locally of millions of dollars annually.

Listing all of the public meetings held for any given time period in the Puget Sound region is beyond the scope of this article. A partial list for the month of September includes: Seashore Transportation Forum, Lake City (King County); Public Open House to Review Environmental Findings for the Kirkland segment of I-405, Kirkland (WSDOT); Northeast Neighborhood Council meeting (Tacoma); Transit Center Community Advisory Group meeting, Burien (King County); Pinehurst-Beverly Neighborhood Meeting (Everett); Rainier Valley Construction Update Meetings (three meetings – Sound Transit), and Brightwater conveyance system and system-wide mitigation meetings (three meetings – King County).

Multiply the foregoing list by the myriad projects always in progress, government entities (and departments or agencies thereof), volunteer organizations, etc. and the sheer magnitude of the process becomes evident.
One example illustrates the basic theory behind the public involvement process. It has been proposed that a “pet garden” be established at Marymoor Park in east King County. A public meeting involving the participation of no less than four organizations (King County, Serve our Dog Area, Friends of Marymoor Park and the Marymoor Community Gardeners Association) was held on September 15 with the stated purpose of eliciting “public comment” on the project:

At the public workshop proposed designs will be available for viewing and the public will have the opportunity to comment on the general concept, types of commemorations, such as stones, an etchable path, a wall, benches or plant material . . .

Consider the effort required for the above meeting (and for each of the other meetings organized each month): development of a concept and agenda, design and production of meeting materials, design and production of promotional materials, design of an outreach and publicity campaign, meeting site location, preparation of the meeting site, facilitation and other staffing of the meeting, and follow-up on the results of the meeting.

Who Pays?

While the efforts of well-meaning volunteers are not to be discounted, the bulk of the ultimate cost of public involvement on almost all public projects is borne – of course – by the taxpayer. Persons with titles such as “Transportation Community Relations Planner” or “Public Involvement Specialist” are found in varying numbers in most state, county and municipal governments. It is impossible to arrive at an overall cost figure since a public involvement campaign generally involves the interaction of a number of paid government employees (e.g. a graphic designer or web designer who may be working on numerous other projects) from different departments.

The “Private” Factor

In addition to volunteers and government employees, there are a number of local consulting firms which assist in the public involvement process. These firms are staffed by professionals with experience in items including demographics, graphic design, meeting organization and meeting facilitation.
Pacific Communications Consultants, Inc. is a Bellevue-based consulting firm which has organized and facilitated numerous outreach campaigns and public involvement meetings. The firm’s owner and president Regina L. Glenn observes: “Public and community involvement is big business because business and government are more visible than ever due to the media and the internet. Our audiences in America are busy, alert and deserve and demand to know the details of what, when, why, how and with whose dollars are their homes, businesses and quality of life is being altered. The technical solutions and the political rationales must be translated in clear and responsive messages. The professionals who can translate the messages and set the right atmosphere conducive to ‘hearing the messages’ and provide a process to demonstrate we hear the concerns and have solutions and strategies, is a critical team member to any public or private venture involving movement of people and property. It is profession I am proud to be part of.”

Is It Worth It?

Says one government official, “Public outreach and meetings are generally good public relations – even if the topic of a meeting is unpopular and the public input largely negative. What many people don’t realize, however, is that the outreach and meetings are mandated by various government regulations and a necessary part of the government approval process, particularly on major public works projects. This fact does not always translate into input received from the public being reflected in the final design of a project.”

Insofar as the people who actually attend public meetings are concerned, there are of course varying views as to the meetings’ efficacy. Says one attendee at a recent public meeting: “I go to any meeting which has an impact on my life or community. I contribute my thoughts often.” Said another attendee at the same meeting: “I like the free food. I never say a word or fill out a form because I don’t think it will make any difference.”

Whether you think the public involvement process is worth the time and money, and whether you think your input is relevant, one thing is sure: as you read this there is probably (at least one) public meeting going on somewhere near you.