Projects

Funding Strategies, Projects

Oak Lodge Sanitary District GO Bond

In 2009, Oak Lodge Sanitary District authorized the sale of revenue bonds to support construction of new and upgraded wastewater treatment facilities. In the aftermath of the bond market collapse last year, the Oak Lodge Sanitary District determined that it could save customers $20 million in borrowing costs over 15 years by switching from revenue bonds to G.O. (General Obligation) bond funding.

The Barney & Worth team was retained by the District in late August to initiate public opinion research, develop a public education plan and develop themes and messaging for education outreach.  An initial telephone poll fielded in mid-September determined only 32% of district voters supported this approach.  However, the poll and focus groups suggested District customers were also hungry for information and responded well to informational messages that described project benefits.  Barney & Worth’s fast-paced public education campaign spread the word to every household.  In the end, by election day (November 2) the G.O. bond measure passed with 85% voter support.

www.oaklodgesanitary.com

Facilities Planning and Siting, Projects

Franzen Reservoir Rehabilitation

Barney & Worth developed a communications plan and materials to inform Salem area water customers about the Franzen Reservoir Rehabilitation Project.  The project would shut down the City of Salem’s 100 million gallon reservoir for two summers, requiring customers to curb their water usage.

With the City’s water reserves drastically reduced, it was crucial to increase public understanding and develop widespread participation in conserving water.   The communications strategy covered every water customer – from the “top ten” industrial users to individual homeowners.  Barney & Worth devised the innovative and highly successful “One Inch Per Week” lawn watering campaign, which distributed thousands of watering gauges and resulted in vital water conservation during construction at Franzen.

Parking Management, Projects

City of Bend

Barney & Worth worked with the City of Bend, Oregon, on a study to revisit and analyze parking management strategies and strategic pricing for its downtown. A key driver for the study was the pending construction of a new City-owned parking structure in the downtown. The City’s goal was to complete its comprehensive review of downtown parking in preparation for opening the new garage.

The consultants employed several public involvement methods and tools – including committees, stakeholder interviews, public workshops, project website, web survey, public meetings and information materials – to invite full community participation, earn broad-based consensus and support, and produce lasting solutions. The new parking plan was implemented in conjunction with the successful opening of the Centennial Parking Plaza.

Parking Management, Projects

City of Portland Smart Meters

Barney & Worth led customer education and outreach for the introduction of state-of-art electronic pay stations – or SmartMeters – to replace traditional coin-operated parking meters in downtown Portland, Oregon. To introduce the pay stations, the firm formed strategic partnerships with downtown businesses, parking staff and local news media. Public outreach efforts included surveys and focus groups, rollout strategy and schedule, identity and message development, targeted outreach to downtown businesses, and materials tailored to parking customers.

The SmartMeter Public Education & Outreach marketing campaign won an Award of Excellence from the Portland Metro Chapter Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).

Parking Management, Projects

Salem Downtown Parking

Barney & Worth, in partnership with Rick Williams Consulting, completed the development of a comprehensive parking management plan for two areas of Salem’s downtown.  Plans were made for the “core retail zone” and the State Capitol Mall.  The study was based on an extensive utilization/capacity and turnover study of nearly 10,000 on- and off-street parking stalls. The work involved extensive public outreach, meetings with leadership groups, and lengthy work sessions with City Council and City staff.  The full plan was unanimously adopted by the Salem City Council.

“Barney & Worth and Rick Williams Consulting prepared a comprehensive project plan and executed the plan on time and within budget.  The process and materials were, at all times, professional and of a high standard.  Their work provided the data that defined the problem, and the public involvement helped share the guiding principles and strategies.”

– Tony Mounts, Administrative Services Director/CFO, City of Salem

Funding Strategies, Projects

Safe, Smart, Sustainable Schools

Portland Public Schools retained Barney & Worth to provide public engagement and communications services in support of the district’s long-range plan to renovate and rebuild their entire portfolio of more than 90 educational facilities.  Consultant tasks include:  collaborating with the in-house communications team to develop and implement a public engagement plan, facilitating team meetings to monitor the plan activities and results, focus groups, outreach to key stakeholder groups, developing communication points and strategies, writing informational materials including video scripts, organizing and updating the project website content, and supplying information to the upcoming bond measure campaign to fund priority capital projects.

Client Website

Funding Strategies, Projects

Salem Police And Parks Funding

Barney & Worth recently completed an evaluation of the public’s awareness of current conditions of police and parks facilities and gauged support for possible future facilities improvements including: a new police headquarters; development and rehabilitation of existing parks; and expansion of the softball complex.  Stakeholder interviews, focus groups and a telephone survey were conducted.  The results of the research were presented to the Salem City Council and are being used to inform facilities and funding strategies.

Facilities Planning and Siting, Projects

Skamania Lodge And Conference Center

Barney & Worth assisted Skamania County, Washington, and private resort developer John Gray to prepare the successful proposal that led the Columbia River Gorge Commission to designate the Stevenson site for a conference/meeting facility funded partially with federal funds.  State and local land-use approvals were coordinated and expedited allowing the Skamania Lodge to open ahead of schedule.

Facilities Planning and Siting, Projects

Oregon Convention Center

Barney & Worth participated in the Siting and Planning Study for the Oregon Convention Center, which has become one of the nation’s most successful and highly sought convention and conference facilities.  The firm completed a community leader survey for the Metropolitan Exposition Recreation Commission to assess the current status and future plans for the Center, in anticipation of a proposed expansion of the facility.  The firm conducted more than 40 interviews of prominent business and community leaders in the Portland metropolitan region, providing advice that helped shape the expansion.

Community Planning and Visioning, Projects

Salem Vision 2020

To Barney & Worth:

“You’ve really gone above and beyond to help create a true sense of ownership in our community for Salem Vision 2020 – as evidenced by the high volume of community survey responses, innovative approaches to outreach and community forums, and the number of community participants at each of our forums. As we look forward to the next few months and the next year of implementation, I think we are perfectly positioned for success.”

– Mayor Janet Taylor, City of Salem

Barney & Worth facilitated the creation of Salem Vision 2020 – a community action plan for the City’s core downtown center. Over a six month period, 3,500 surveys were completed, 35 community briefings were conducted and two community forums were held. Through this very successful public involvement process, Salem community members identified 24 priority action items.  More than 40 supporting organizations and 200 people are currently playing leadership roles to turn the vision into action.

Project Website