FACILITIES SITING
Public Involvement Manual

Preface:

At its March 11, 1996 regular Executive Committee meeting, the officers of the Multnomah County Citizen Involvement Committee (CIC) initiated a study of public facility siting cases, best practices. The CIC recommended creation of a generic county public facility siting policy. On April 11, 1996, at the charge of County Chair Beverly Stein, Larry Nicholas, Director of the County Department of Environmental Services (DES) called a first meeting of a task force to develop a public facility siting process. The development of this manual was subject to an extensive public involvement plan itself. Surveys, newsletters and public workshops were held to give citizens the opportunity to decide how it would like government to interact with them on these types of projects. Months of citizen and technical review and discussion followed, resulting in the Multnomah County Facilities Siting Public Involvement Manual.

This Manual is dedicated to the men and women of Multnomah County, in and out of government, who gave their time and talents to develop this important public process tool.

For more information:
Multnomah County Chair's Office - 503-988-3308
Department of Environmental Services - 503-988-5000
Office of Citizen Involvement - 503-988-3450

INTRODUCTION

The Facilities Siting Public Involvement Manual for Multnomah County is a guide for County Department directors and program managers for citizen outreach for County projects involving facilities siting. It was implemented by Executive Order 230, with which County Board Chair Beverly Stein directed the County department directors to develop a public involvement plan as part of the work program for facilities siting projects, and to submit those plans to her office for review and approval.

The steps in this manual are consistent with the citizen involvement principles adopted by the Board of County Commissioners.

A four-part manual:

I. Principles for Facilities Siting Public Involvement Plans states the fundamental tenets that guide County outreach.

II. Strategies for Facilities Siting Public Involvement Plans details the significant steps that each public involvement plan needs to include.

III. An Example: An Advisory Public Involvement Process offers program managers and department directors a close look at the mechanics of implementing public involvement.

IV. An Example: An Advisory Public Involvement Process Checklist consolidates the steps in the advisory process onto a single reference sheet.

I. Principles for Facilities Siting Public Involvement Plans

To promote effective public involvement in county siting decisions, the County will require a public involvement plan be developed for each facility siting project. This plan, to be developed at the beginning of a project, must be consistent with the following principles:

1. Sharing information early with a broad spectrum of citizens well beyond those who are active in community organizations;
2. Inviting public participation in all critical decisions for a project, and providing ample opportunity for public input to be given directly to top project decision-makers;
3. Being flexible to adjusting plans, where feasible, to meet public needs and desires;
4. Keeping publics to be directly impacted by the siting decision fully informed throughout the process;
5. Involving and incorporating community values into the project; and,
6. Engaging and soliciting the advice of nearby community members at every level and every stage, from planning and construction through operation of the proposed facility.

II. Strategies for Facilities Siting Public Involvement Plans .

Based upon these principles, County Department directors will be responsible for developing public involvement plans that will be part of the work program for any facility siting project for Multnomah County. These plans will be forwarded to the Office of the County chair for review and approval. From these principles strategies for public involvement can be derived that will facilitate a successful siting process. The following strategies must be elements of public involvement plans developed for facilities siting projects.

1. Initial Description of Project.

   The County must prepare a description of the project to serve as a public information fact sheet. Information on the fact sheet needs to include: a description of the facility; a description of what will occur in the facility; an explanation of why the County is having to build or acquire a facility; a clear map of potential areas for the new facility; total land and facility budget; the time line for decisions; a description of the decision-making process, including identification of the decision-maker(s); a description of opportunities for the public to participate; and, a contact name and number.

2. Minimum Criteria.

   The county needs to identify essential site characteristics necessary for the facility to serve its purpose and for the meeting of broader goals of Multnomah County. These will be used to guide the search for potential locations for the facility. Each must be fundamental to the project: if a site does not meet any one of them, the facility cannot perform its function effectively.

3. Identify Key Project Decisions .

   The county will identify anticipated decisions in the life of the siting project that will be important to the public. Among these key points may be facility location (including criteria for site search and evaluation of potential sites), design issues, construction mitigation, and operations concerns, including monetary impacts to the county.

4. Identify Stakeholders.

   Interested citizens should be identified as an initial step, with an ongoing task of adding the names of additional members of the public who express an interest in the project. The list may include: property owners and tenants near prospective sites; neighborhood associations, business associations and other civic organizations in the area; facility clients; county department citizen advisory boards; and elected officials and other community leaders.

5. Inform Stakeholders .

   Public education and information about the project will be developed and distributed as soon as possible to interested citizens. At a minimum, this information will be conveyed through direct contact (in person or by phone) with leaders of area community organizations and adjacent property owners and tenants. In addition, an informational mailing may be sent to all deliverable addresses in the carrier route area around prospective sites. This information will include:

• A description of the facility, including size, cost, schedule, design requirements, and the services to be provided;
• A description of the minimum criteria the County has set for any potential site;
• A map showing areas for potential location;
• A description, if possible, of potential community impacts of facility operation, including identification of traffic and parking impacts;
• An explanation of why the County is pursuing the project;
• A timeline for the project, including identification of critical decision points with the project including the potential for added value/benefits to the community from the facility development;
• A description of the decision-making process, including identification of the decision-maker;
• A description of how to get involved in making decisions for the project, including notice of upcoming public meetings, open houses, or workshops and a contact name and number for additional information.
6. Offer Opportunities for Public Involvement in Decisions .

   For each key decision point in the life of a project, the county will offer opportunities for direct public input to  decision-makers.  The County should notify media of scheduled presentations on the project.  These opportunities my include, but will not be limited to, the following forums:

• Informational presentations to neighborhood association, business association and civic organization boards and general membership meetings.
• Surveys included in bulk mailings in the area, or conducted by on-site electronic voting systems.
• Public open houses/public workshops on the project with top project decision-makers, where all key community leaders and all businesses and residents in the area are invited through the mail as well as through notices in The Oregonian , neighborhood newspapers, and, if possible, civic organization newsletters.
• The formation of citizens committees from members of key community associations and/or interested citizens including residents or businesses from areas near potential project locations, who meet regularly with project decision-makers.  Members may be selected in consultation with or by the community groups.  Other potential members include citizens serving on county department advisory boards already in existence.

The County's Citizen Involvement Committee (CIC) may be utilized as a resource for program managers in selecting the most effective tools for public input.

7. Communicate Results of Public's Input.

   During the life of a project, as public input is given and decisions are made, the County will communicate the results of key project decisions and the resolution of all citizen suggestions.  this can be accomplished through phone calls or written updates, as well as  through periodic newsletters sent to a mailing list for the project.

8. Maintain Community Support.

   Develop partnerships with public and private partners that make other projects happen, particularly those desired by the community.  The project should provide opportunities for nearby communities to be an advocate and steward of the proposed project.  Their participation should be contingent on receiving a high quality design or related mitigation or amenities projects giving the community tangible benefits based on the community's needs.

Responsibility for project public involvement plans: 

After review and approval by the Office of the County Chair, the director of the County department in charge of the facility is responsible for the implementation of public involvement plans.

III. An Example: An Advisory Process

Springing from the Facility Siting Public Involvement Strategies, an advisory public involvement process has been developed. It is hoped that this more detailed description of the "mechanics" of public out reach will prove valuable as a guide to county personnel.

This process is divided into the basic stages of each project - start-up, introducing the project to the public and setting criteria for searching for potential sites, evaluating sites, and making preliminary recommendation taken to the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners. These public involvement work tasks need to be built into the project work plan.

A. Project Start-Up: Develop a Public Involvement Plan.

1. Develop a public involvement plan at the beginning of the project and integrate that program into the project's work plan. The program must meet the principles and strategies suggested in Sections 1 and 2. The Office of the County Chair will review and approve the plan.

   The program will identify key decisions of public interest in the course of the project (for site selection, include criteria for site search and for evaluation and selection of the site) and offer planned opportunities for public input into each decision. Sufficient time and resources for public involvement will be integrated into the project timeline and budget.

   An initial judgement must be reached on whether the project involves a contentious facility. Such facilities include those serving a population that may be perceived by the broader community as dangerous or threatening, or those that involve large areas of land or significant storefront location. These carry additional public involvement requirements under this process.

   The county will identify parameters, or minimum criteria, for the facility's location, i.e. basic site qualities necessary to perform the function intended for the facility. An explanation of these parameters should be developed to share with the public.

2. Identify an initial list of persons and groups that may be interested in the project. Groups may include, but are not to be limited to:
• Neighborhood associations and coalitions;
• Business district associations;
• public and private schools;
• general business organizations - e.g., chamber of Commerce, economic development councils;
• Civic groups - e.g., City Club, Kiwanis, rotary;
• Other special interest groups - e.g. environmental groups;
• Citizen advisory groups for County departments;
• Other affected parties concerned with the project,; and,
• Public agencies and elected officials.

Identify key leaders of these groups for initial contact. The County Citizen Involvement Committee (CIC) or other staff or resources assigned to assist public out reach may be a good resource for contact names.

3. Create a project mailing list of interested persons and groups. This list will be updated and expanded at every step of the project. throughout the course of the project, update the project mailing list with the names of persons who call, write, or attend any of the community meetings, open houses, or public workshops on the project. Persons on the project mailing list will be updated on the progress of the project through systematic phone calls, letters, or regular project newsletters.

4. Develop project fact sheets stating reasons for the project, the project timeline and budget, key decisions, planned opportunities for public input, how decisions will be made and the ultimate decision-maker, and a phone number or feedback card for questions. Include the name, address, and phone number of a contact person. If feasible, include a map of the general project area.

B. Project Introduction and Criteria for Search for Potential Sites

1. Contact community leaders identified earlier by phone.
   • Introduce nature of project, including the nature of the facility, the project timeline and budget.
   • Identify qualities a potential site must have to perform the intended function, including any legal restrictions and availability within project time frame.
   • Ask for community advice in developing initial criteria to use in finding potential sites. State each criterion succinctly and unambiguously. Limit initial criteria to about a dozen; otherwise more serious topics may be obscured by trivial issues.
   • State that the County will be asking for further advice as the project moves ahead, such as on the facility's design, construction, and operation; how the facility can be made into a community asset (e.g., by building community meeting rooms or entering into a Good Neighbor Agreement on facility operations issues).
   • Ask for names of other citizens or groups that may be interested in the project. Add these names to project mailing list.

2. Mail the fact sheet to project mailing list.

3. Notify local media on project start-up , with basic information included in the project fact sheet, to the local media in the area. Publicize any upcoming meetings scheduled on the project, and list phone number for those who wish to get involved early. Public Information Officers of County Departments or the County Chair's Office will assist.
   Who are the local media?

   County Project Teams should work with department Public Information Officers or the County Chair's Office on the best way to get information out to the local media. Beyond The Oregonian , citizens often rely on local neighborhood newspapers, and civic organization or special interest group newsletters for information on public projects. The Citizen Involvement Committee (CIC) also has a media contact list which reaches all neighborhood associations, coalitions and community groups within the county and many of the County's citizen advisory board and committee members, as well.

4. Offer opportunities for public involvement to advise the development of criteria to search for potential facility locations. These opportunities should be identified in the project's public involvement program.

   Public Involvement Opportunities:

   The application of other public involvement tools to receive public guidance on the criteria for selecting sites is dictated by the needs and nature of the specific project. Program managers should consult with the County Citizen Involvement Committee (CIC) and/or public involvement staff or team the County may designate for assistance. Some of the techniques include:

   • A citizen advisory committee - a group of citizens that meet as a group to offer direction and advice to a project, used especially for high impact projects. [Caution: "blue ribbon panels" are often suspect to the general public]. Members may be selected in consultation with or by community groups [Recommended].

   • Working with a neighborhood association committee - neighborhoods often have standing committees, such as land-use committees, that are good to work with; some groups will create a separate committee for working on just one project.

   • Open houses/public workshops - public meetings to discuss a project.

   • A public kick-off/scoping meeting for the project.

   • Feedback cards - postcards to offer suggestions.

   • Mass mailings - can deliver project information and include a return mail survey.

   • Newspaper articles - deliver project information and have a contact number for input.

   • Local neighborhood newspapers - serve the same purpose as the previous item, but persons often look to these publications for more detailed civic information.

   • Civic organization/special interest group newsletters - some groups have regular newsletter that go out to members [includes, neighborhood associations and coalitions].

5. Develop a list of criteria for searching for potential sites that integrates advice of the public. forward this list to the County Department of Environmental Services to begin real estate search for possible sites, including existing facilities . Send update of the criteria to those on the project mailing list.

   For contentious facilities , the following additional steps are suggested:

6. Invitations to the public workshop(s) should be sent by a mass mailing covering the general area where the facility is to be located. The mailing, based on the project fact sheet, should include a response card if a reader would like to be added to the project mailing list, and a phone number for more information.

7. Send local media notice of the public workshop(s) on criteria, including local print media and civic organization newsletters. County Public Information Officers or the County chair's Office will assist in this latter step. [The Citizen Involvement Committee (CIC) also has access to community groups, neighborhood associations and coalitions and citizen advisory boards, commissions and ad hoc groups countywide].

8. Host at least one public workshop to discuss criteria for the project in the general area where the project must be sited. Explore the potential for community organizations in the area serving as co-sponsors of the meetings, helping to get their membership to the meeting [Recommended]. The purpose of the meeting is to expand investment in the criteria and provide an opportunity for debate of issues related to the criteria, as well as finding persons to help on future steps on the project. Prepare clearly labeled, boldly presented graphics illustrating proposals. It is sometimes valuable to hold an open house before the workshop, allowing citizens to ask questions and state concerns in a less formal setting. the names of attendees should be added to the project mailing list.

C. Evaluating Potential Sites.

Using the criteria developed, the County will involve the public in the evaluation of the potential locations for the facility. It is important that citizens understand that a site must be chosen, and that a "perfect" location is seldom available.

1. Develop and updated fact sheet and mail to project mailing list, containing the following information:
   1. A list of potential sites;
   2. A description of how sites were selected, i.e., applying the criteria developed previously;
   3. A preliminary or "first cut" list of advantages and disadvantages for each site under consideration. Ask for the help of the community in completing this analysis.

   Identify decision-maker, and give a phone number or include a response card so people who receive the mailing can give feedback.

2. Notify local media , with the assistance of the department Public Information Officer, or County Chair's Office, on the potential sites under evaluation. Include in the article the name and phone number of the program manager.

3. Offer opportunities for public involvement to evaluate potential sites. These opportunities should be identified in the project's public involvement plan.

   For contentious facilities, the following additional steps are suggested:

4. Mail to project mailing list an invitation to the public workshop(s). The mailing based on the project fact sheet, should include a response mechanism and a phone number.

5. Deliver door-to-door invitations to the public workshop(s) to every residence or business in a 500-foot radius of a potential site, or in case of remote sites, to the nearest neighbors on each side of the site.
   Note: If the project did not allow for the public involvement steps suggested under Section 2, invitations to the public workshop(s) on site evaluation should be mass mailed as outlined in this section, Step B, 6.

6. Send local media notice of the public workshops, including local print media and civic organization newsletters. County Public Information Officers or the County Chair's Office will assist in this latter step.
   Note: The optional public involvement opportunities listed after step B, 4 can be applied as well to the site evaluation process.

7. Hold at least one public workshop on site evaluation in area where identified potential sites are located. Explore if community organizations in the area will agree to serve as co-sponsors of the meetings, helping to get their membership to the meeting. the purpose of the meeting will be to evaluate potential sites and explore potential community benefits in design and operation at each site. Prepare bold, clearly labeled graphics to illustrate potential sites. Add the names of workshop attendees to the project mailing list.

D. Preliminary Recommendation:

1. Take into account the public input and the needs of the County and make a preliminary site recommendation .

2. Develop a fact sheet on the preliminary recommendation. The fact sheet should name the decision-maker, review the basis of the decision, how public input affected the recommendation, and next steps in the process, including when the measure is scheduled for County Board action. Make specific mention of community benefits the project may realize. Leave contact number and address and time limit for comment on preliminary recommendation.

3. Mail preliminary recommendation fact sheet to project mailing list.

4. Contact key citizen leaders by phone in the project to inform and explain to them preliminary recommendation.

5. Notify local media , with assistance of the department Public Information Officer, on the preliminary recommendation. Include schedule for County Board of Commissioners action and the name and phone number of a contact person.

6. Adjust preliminary recommendation based on additional public comment.

Note: The optional public involvement opportunities listed after step B,4 can be applied as well to the review of the preliminary recommendation.

E. Recommendation to County Board of Commissioners.

Take the recommendation to the County Board of Commissioners for its deliberation.

Present a report documenting the nature and extent of public involvement in the project to County Board of Commissioners, as part of the recommendation for the facility site. Highlight any steps not taken, and explain why they were not followed.

Present a plan for continued citizen involvement in the design, construction and operation of the facility to the County Board, including development of a Good Neighbor Agreement that sets up guidelines for operation of the facility to make it as compatible to the adjacent neighborhood as possible.

IV. An Example: An Advisory Public Involvement Process Checklist

1. Project Start-Up.

   Develop public involvement plan that offers opportunities for public input into key project decisions. Develop list of interested citizens and groups. Create and maintain a project mailing list of all interested persons and groups. Develop a project fact sheet.

2. Project Introduction and Criteria of Search for Potential Sites.
   1. Contact community leaders to introduce project. Mail fact sheets to project mailing list.
   2. Notify press of project start-up.
   3. Offer opportunities for public input in developing criteria for search for potential sites within constraints imposed by the project.
   4. Develop list of criteria - mail update to project mailing list.
      For contentious facilities:
      
   5. Invitations to public workshop(s) through mass mailing.
   6. Notify local media of public workshop(s).
   7. Host public workshop(s) on criteria.

3. Evaluating Potential Sites.
   1. Develop updated fact sheet on potential sites. Mail to mailing list.
   2. Contact leaders of community organizations.
   3. Offer opportunities for public input in evaluating potential sites.
      For contentious facilities:
      
   4. Invitations to project mailing list to public workshop(s).
   5. Deliver invitations door-to-door around potential sites.
   6. Notify local media of public workshop(s).
   7. Host public workshop(s) on site evaluation.

4. Preliminary Recommendation.
   1. Take into account public input and needs of the County and make preliminary site recommendation.
   2. Develop a preliminary recommendation fact sheet.
   3. Mail the fact sheet to project mailing list. contact key citizen leaders by phone to advise them of preliminary recommendation.
   4. Notify media of preliminary recommendation.
   5. Make advisable adjustments to preliminary recommendation based on public comment.

5. Recommendation to the County Board of Commissioners
   1. Take site recommendation to the County Board.
   2. Present County Board with report documenting project public involvement.
   3. Present plan for continued citizen involvement .