Professional Engineering Design Services for North Swinton Avenue Roadway Underground Utility Improvements

The City of Delray Beach hired WGI to provide Professional Engineering Design Services for North Swinton Avenue Roadway Underground Utility Improvements. The project area includes thirteen (13) neighborhoods including Lake Eden, Beacon Plat, Northridge, Lake Shore Estates, High Acres, and others. This project will improve pavement deterioration including uneven surfaces of the roadways, excessive sinkholes, asphalt cracking and accelerated deterioration adversely impacting roadway stability and rideability and study the need for additional bike lanes.

Scope of Services

The Merchant Strategy (TMS) was hired as a subconsultant to WGI to provide a Public Involvement Plan (PIP) and webpage within 30 calendar days after Notice to Proceed. The PIP will include resident and stakeholder databases. TMS will provide updates and information to the City PIO to post to the City’s social media accounts. TMS will setup and staff a project hotline acting as first point of contact for impacted stakeholders. TMS will create notification flyers, and/or letters, and door hangers with information on the project scope, limits, schedule, anticipated impacts and contact information for the Public Involvement Manager. We will find appropriate public meeting locations (or make provisions for virtual meetings), staff each meeting, assist with set up and take down, and provide a summary that includes meeting notes, sign in sheets, comment cards, and all written comments, questions, and responses. TMS will attend the kickoff meeting, all progress meetings with the project team, City and Department meetings and all other community meetings including the Historic Preservation board and provide meeting notes.

Public Involvement Activity: Public Meetings

TMS will organize and staff two public meetings including the preparation. Public meetings are intended to provide residents and stakeholders an opportunity to voice concerns and be heard throughout the decision-making process. The meeting will be conducted in an open house format to allow residents to learn more about the improvement project and answer any questions. TMS will organize the setup and take down of the public information meeting, sign in attendees, prepare, and collect comment cards. TMS will assemble timely meeting notes at the conclusion of the event and provide those to the client.

Public Involvement Activity: Stakeholder Database

TMS will gather, organize, and prepare mailing lists of all stakeholders, businesses, utility companies and city officials. More include commercial property owners such as the Delray Soccer Complex, bicycle groups, places of worship, nearby schools like Plumosa School of the Arts, tenants, and all city and WGI team members and the Historic Preservation Board. Homeowners are identified by use of the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser website. TMS will update mailing databases as necessary throughout the duration of the project.

Public Involvement Activity: Notification Letters

TMS will prepare public meeting notifications in the form of a flyer and letter that will be mailed to city officials, impacted utilities, and property owners. TMS will assemble all notifications and mailed materials.

Public Involvement Activity: Hotline

TMS will set up and maintain a resident complaint hotline that would be advertised on all collateral materials. All hotline communications will be forwarded onto the client.

Public Involvement Activity: Webpage Content

Working in conjunction with the City of Delray Beach website designee, TMS will create content to be shared to the City website on a separate page. TMS will send updated content to the City’s designee throughout the project duration to keep the public informed of changes. TMS will communicate all weekly website updates to the client.

Public Involvement Activity: Social Media

TMS will set up an individual Facebook page and Twitter account for the project. TMS will create each page’s content, added photos and meeting dates. Weekly project updates were posted to each platform in addition to regular postings.