25M - PUBLIC OUTREACH FOR GO LOCAL PROGRAM STEP 2

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Consensuslnc. I nteract. I nnovate. Influence. the California Environmental Quality Act and National Environmental Policy Act. Please also refer to the qualifications provided in the next section for greater detail about our experience in successfully preparing and executing outreach programs for complex transit studies. Situation Analysis Santa Ana is the fourth-most densely populated city in the U.S., preceded only by New York City, San Francisco and Chicago. Its residents are heavily dependent on transit, and while existing bus service provides good geographic coverage, the buses do not run frequently enough to adequately serve the area. With recent bus service cutbacks, nighttime service on many routes has been reduced or eliminated. And with a looming population growth of approximately 10 percent over the next 20 to 25 ~ years, it is even more important that Santa Ana further develop its transportation infrastructure to accommodate that growth. In keeping with those needs, the City of Santa Ana is working with the City of Garden Grove to design ~ anew public transportation solution for residents, employees, and visitors to important destinations in Santa Ana and connecting to the future transportation center in Garden Grove. 'J] The vision of Santa Ana's leadership is to increase livability in the city through proper land use ~ decisions and increasing quality public transportation options, and they have developed a strategy for fostering new economic development through improving these qualities. With this proposal, Consensus Inc. is recommending a plan that not only fulfills, but exceeds the requirements of the environmental review process. It has been designed to engage the public with the end goal of building consensus for an alternative, and then cultivating community advocates to lay I~ ~ the groundwork for future funding phases (Go Local Step Three). This process is not, however, without inherent challenges. Issues and Challenges The City's vision has sometimes been misunderstood and/or mischaracterized by certain vocal stakeholders-creating a politically charged environment that has attracted the attention of local media. Accusations about not adequately involving the public and backroom dealing have compromised perceptions about this being a public process, thereby reducing trust in government and city staff and affecting the integrity of the project. What's the solution? The public plays an important role in helping to shape this vision. And only through frequent communication-with a keen eye to neighborhood demographics and communicating with the key publics in the manner in which they are most accustomed to communicating-can a successful outreach program be implemented. Santa Ana is known to be a low-income, disengaged community. By giving the public options for participation and making it convenient for them to participate, the City can bolster the integrity of the process while improving public perception of the project and building trust in city leaders. Implementing social media tools and ~ delivering them to the public where they currently gather-activity centers, church and neighborhood -4' Santa Ana Transit Vision Public Outreach-City of Santa Ana r`~ 25M-14