Public Involvement Plan

Building upon what was learned during the planning phase, proactive community involvement will continue to be an important feature of the Intercounty Connector (ICC) project during the design and construction phase. The Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA)/Maryland Transportation Authority (MdTA) team's initial plan, described below, offers many different mechanisms for individuals, communities, and interest groups to remain involved. More than during the planning phase, the plan allows for individual or sensitive topics to be addressed in a more focused manner.

• Community Liaisons for Each Contract Segment
• Identifying and Working with Stakeholder Groups
• Identifying Potential Project Issues
• Developing and Implementing Strategies to Address Issues
• Website, Newsletter, Fact Sheets & Media
• Summary

Community Liaisons for Each Contract Segment

The ICC will be designed and built in five segments, Contracts A, B, C, D and E. A project Community Liaison for each segment will serve as the single source of information and interaction for interested parties. The Community Liaison will possess a thorough understanding of the area associated with each contract, including the issues, individuals, and communities. She will schedule and attend community meetings, work with SHA's right-of-way teams, work with other technical teams, such as the staff that will be coordinating the approval of the noise barriers, and coordinate with the contractor's team. In summary, the Community Liaison will lead the outreach and issue resolution efforts by coordinating with all appropriate parties.

Identifying and Working with Stakeholder Groups

The ICC project team has developed a comprehensive list of individuals and groups, based on the public involvement efforts undertaken during the planning phase. In addition, the Community Liaison will continue to update this list and identify existing and new project stakeholders within each contract segment. Stakeholders include:

• Property owners and tenants
• Homeowners associations and community leadership
• Local government and elected officials
• Interest groups
• Religious leaders
• Business owners and organizations
• Media representatives

The Community Liaison will coordinate all public involvement activities as appropriate for each stakeholder group. Examples include property owner meetings, elected official briefings, general public meetings, stocking materials at project resource centers, monitoring a dedicated hotline, and publishing newsletters and flyers. A team of experienced and knowledgeable team members will be available for presentations and meetings with stakeholders.

Identifying Potential Project Issues

As with all complex construction projects, issues will arise that require coordination of multiple parties. Many issues can be identified in advance, based on the project team's experience, such as identifying storage and access locations for construction equipment, maintenance of traffic, and construction schedules. Others may be unique to the ICC. Whatever issues arise, the project team is fully prepared to work with the public to resolve them

In addition, as part of the design and construction process, there will be opportunities for individuals and communities to provide input on elements of the ICC as the project moves toward and through construction. The Community Liaison is the point person for facilitating all individual and community input. Examples of the types of issues that could arise include noise barrier coordination and certain aesthetic features.

In some cases, emergencies may arise that require immediate contact with the project team (e.g., utility service interruptions, temporary lane closures). To ensure an immediate response to any perceived or actual emergency, the Community Liaison and the public involvement team will be the point of contact for all emergencies.

Developing and Implementing Strategies to Address Issues

Once the Community Liaison works with the project stakeholders on issues important to that group and gains their input, the project team will use this information to efficiently implement a solution. The team may not be able to implement all of the individual suggestions, yet will consider all prior to generating a solution. The project team will clearly communicate the solution to the contractor's team to ensure that it is carried out in a proper and timely manner. The Community Liaison will continue to communicate with the public to ensure that all interested parties are informed of the solution.

Website, Newsletter, Fact Sheets & Media

Complemented by periodic newsletters and fact sheets, the ICC website will be a primary source of reliable, timely information and will include up-to-date and current reports on key ICC developments. The outreach team will also proactively research, plan, implement, and evaluate initiatives that inform the public and key audiences via media outlets.

Summary

The ICC project team is fully committed to involving all project stakeholders in the design and construction phases of the project. Our goals include:

• Providing a single point of contact between the public and the ICC project team
• Proactively informing property owners adjacent to the ICC and other stakeholders of upcoming activities
• Offering project stakeholders the opportunity to provide input into certain project decisions, including those which affect particular properties or communities
• Utilizing a variety of outreach mechanisms to disseminate the most accurate, up-to-date information available.