Final Site Selection Report Kittitas_082118

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SECTION 5 AX0622181133PDX 5-1 Public Involvement Activities The County developed and implemented a Public Involvement Plan to engage and coordinate with the local community throughout the project. Implementation of the plan’s tools, activities, and community outreach materials enabled an important two-way dialogue between public and project team. Through engagement, the project team was able to better understand interests of people in the communities served by the existing transfer station and how best to involve community members in the siting and construction of the new transfer station. This approach ensured that the public had an opportunity to learn about the project, interact with the project team, and provide input on the siting decision. Community outreach was performed through stakeholder interviews, community meetings, briefings, the County’s online engagement website, and feedback surveys. Initial stakeholder interview participants were identified by project staff and were intended to be representative of a variety of community perspectives. Stakeholders included representatives from local governments and community groups and comprised the following participants: • Paul Jewell – Kittitas County • Ryan Lyyski and Margaret Reich – City of Ellensburg • Barry Brunson – Our Environment • Sharon Lumsden and Barry Brunson – Kittitas Audubon Society • Charli Sorenson – County Residents Against PacifiClean • Charli Sorenson – Grant County Public Utilities District A summary of stakeholder interviews and feedback is provided in Appendix D. As shown in the summary, the major themes that emerged through this feedback were as follows: • Select a location that is convenient for the surrounding community. • Increase the amount of recyclable plastic accepted. • Inform and engage the community using local radio stations, stores, and organizations. The County online engagement website has provided up-to-date information, including project description and schedule, upcoming events and announcements, and contact information. The website has been open to the public since May 23, 2017, and has been updated with current project information, meeting materials, milestones, and decisions throughout the project duration. The website augmented community meetings by providing project milestone material and a means to provide online feedback. Community meetings were held at the Kittitas Valley Event Center in Ellensburg, Washington, on June 6, 2017, September 13, 2017, and April 9, 2018. The types of feedback received at each meeting are summarized in Table 5-1. Table 5-1. Summary of Community Feedback Received at Public Meetings Kittitas County Transfer Station Site Selection Report Community Meeting Feedback Received June 6, 2017 Potential siting areas and concerns Community values Preliminary siting criteria September 13, 2017 Initial three potential sites Weighting siting criteria April 9, 2018 Revised three potential sites Weighting siting criteria