In the past 10 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Aspen continued to support clients in public involvement and engagement on projects throughout the state. We have expanded our public outreach expertise through scheduling, noticing, and facilitating virtual public meetings with the use of online tools such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams. Typically, public outreach efforts provide different avenues for submitting formal comments on a project – at an in-person public meeting, by email, and by US Mail. However, one of the challenges during this unusual time has been how to involve the public and provide an opportunity to learn about and comment on projects without hard-copy distribution of documents and without in-person engagement.
As a follow-up on our previous article regarding online tools, we wanted to provide examples of our public outreach approaches completed during the pandemic.
The projects listed below present some of Aspen’s outreach experience where a virtual public meeting was held by the decision-making agency. While written comments were accepted during the comment period, virtual meetings provided an opportunity for the public to speak directly to agency staff and to hear a live presentation. Noticing for these meetings included links for the online meetings as well as dedicated phone numbers for dialing into the meetings to allow for greater public access. Outreach also included dedicated websites where project-related documents and materials were available electronically. All project-related notices (e.g., postcard notice, website notices, social media announcements) and newspaper advertisements included information on the project website and virtual meetings.
Intersect Power Renewable Energy Project. US Bureau of Land Management.
Aspen supported the BLM with a virtual pre-application meeting with tribal and agency representatives for this 500-megawatt solar generation and battery storage project proposed in Riverside County. The pre-application meeting was conducted in July 2020.
Ivanpah-Control 115 kV Transmission Project. California Public Utilities Commission.
Aspen held two virtual public scoping meetings in September 2020 for this 358-mile 115 kV transmission line project, which crosses Inyo, Kern, and San Bernardino Counties. As part of AB 52 Native American consultation, we are also using online tools to conduct virtual meetings with interested tribes.
Aurora Solar LLC’s Stagecoach Solar Project. California State Lands Commission.
Aspen completed a virtual scoping meeting for this 200-megawatt solar generation facility proposed in San Bernardino County. Two meetings were held on the same day and at different times in October 2020.
Some of our public agency clients have chosen to provide project-specific information through a dedicated website and to allow the public to submit comments via email and US Mail, without a virtual meeting. As an example, Aspen supported the Ventura County Public Works Agency – Watershed Protection with notices and public information materials that were posted online during the comment period for the Matilija Dam Ecosystem Restoration Project and Ventura River Levee Rehabilitation Project. We supported the County with the preparation of a concise presentation, notices, and other materials that allowed the public to learn more about the project and make comments at their convenience during the 30-day scoping comment period.