Public Involvement and Participation
 We will work with you to tailor a public involvement program to meet the specific needs and budget of your project. Tools we regularly use are newsletters and project mailers, door-hangars, stakeholder interviews, opinion surveys, press releases, public service announcements, website posting, neighborhood meetings, charettes and formal public meetings. Beyond the ‘usual’ stakeholders and voices, if there is a party that could potentially stop or harm your project, they need to be involved from the beginning through meaningful public involvement.
Representative Work:
Southeast Alaska Transportation Plan (2010)
The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities is in the process of updating the Southeast Alaska Transportation Plan. Sheinberg Associates, with assistance from Jan Caulfield Consulting, will be carrying out all the public involvement that is required for this planning project. Key tasks will be organizing and facilitating the public meeting process, documenting comments, analyzing information collected through public involvement, and preparing reports concerning the process.
Glacier Bay Chatham Borough Economic Feasibility Analysis (2006-2007)
Conduct an economic assessment of the feasibility of forming the Glacier Bay Chatham Borough. Sheinberg’s work includesresearch, analysis, report writing, design and conduct of a public involvement program, and meetings in seven Southeast Alaska communities. Client is the Alaska Department of Commerce Community and Economic Development.
North Douglas Crossing - Public Involvement Services (2006-2007)
Design and conduct of a multi-faceted public involvementprocess to  identify community’s preferred alternative for North Douglas Crossing (bridge) over Gastineau Channel. Includes updating project engineering andalignments,stakeholder interviews and meetings, public meetings, community opinion survey, website upkeep, and project newsletter.
Unit 2 Young Growth Management Strategy (2006-2007)
Facilitation services to assist in developing a management strategy for young growth forests on USFS land on Prince of Wales Island in order to benefit wildlife productivity (particularly Sitka black-tailed deer). Participants in the strategic planning sessions include state and federal wildlife and timber managers, USFS research biologists, and representatives of the Unit 2 Deer Planning Subcommittee of the Southeast Alaska Regional Subsistence Advisory Council.
Yukon River Drainage Fisheries Association (2006)
Facilitate Yukon River meeting on Fish Size with 30-60 stakeholders, help with meeting design and process, and prepare meeting report.
Subsistence, Wildlife Resource Monitoring Program (2006)
Facilitate strategic planning for USDA Forest Service to determine priority information needs to address through the USFS Wildlife Resource Monitoring Program (WRMP). Participants in the strategic planning sessions included state and federal agency wildlife managers, Southeast and Southcentral Regional Subsistence Advisory Council members, and representatives of Tribal organizations.
Prince of Wales Area Deer Planning (2005)
For the USDA Forest Service, facilitate a nine-month collaborative planning process of the Unit 2 Deer Planning Subcommittee, a 12-member group of hunters, users and managers of deer who are working to address contentious subsistence deer management issues in Game Management Unit 2 in Southeast Alaska (including remote rural communities and primarily-Native Alaskan communities on Prince of Wales Island). Sheinberg Associates planned and facilitated subcommittee meetings, coordinated public involvement in process, and authored final report including the subcommittee’s consensus recommendations to the Federal Subsistence Board and Alaska Board of Game. Work involved meetings in remote Alaska locations.
Sunny Point Intersections Improvement Environmental Assessment (2005)
Primary author for Environmental Assessment (EA), permit applications and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for major DOT&PF highway project in Juneau, Alaska. Permits included Corps of Engineers (Section 404 and Section 10), Alaska Department of Natural Resources (Title 41) for construction in anadromous fish streams, and Alaska Department of Fish and Game Special Use Permit for construction in Mendenhall Wetlands State Game Refuge. Sheinberg Associates coordinated public and agency involvement, including facilitation of scoping meetings, EA hearing, and series of public meetings focused on noise and visual impacts. Subcontractor to R&M Engineering.
Public Involvement Manager, Southeast Alaska Transportation Plan (2004)
Prepare Public Involvement Program and arrange, facilitate and report on dozens of public meetings throughout Southeast Alaska as part of Alaska DOT&PF Southeast Alaska Transportation Plan update. Subcontractor to Walsh Development Services on this project.
Future of Sitka Community Hospital (2003)
Work with elected and appointed leaders to convene a diverse committee of 33 public “health care consumers,” design process and facilitate a series of community meetings to assess the role (and required tax funding) of Sitka Community Hospital, write report with consensus recommendations. Process includes public outreach, research on key issues and data, and work with technical consultants.
Ring of Fire RMP/EIS (2003)
As subcontractor to URS, complete logistics, advertising and facilitate Ring of Fire resource management plan/EIS scoping meetings in Haines, Klukwan and Skagway.
Subport Area Revitalization Plan (2003)
Create economically viable and redevelopment strategies for a 23 acre parcel of downtown Juneau waterfront. Work with the Alaska Mental Health Land Trust Office landowner and neighboring “cooperators”/property owners,  including the USCG, NOAA, National Guard, State of Alaska Dept. of Administration, Goldbelt Corporation, Alaska Land and Pier Company, and the City and Borough of Juneau. Project products include a property inventory, identification of development assets and constraints, criteria to review redevelopment options, and two economically viable redevelopment schemes (including drawings). Sheinberg reached out to a very broad set of interests and views when developing the Plan to help ensure that it brought landowners and the broader community together to “rally” around a mutually acceptable concept.
Phase II was a public involvement process culminating incorporation into the Juneau Waterfront Plan, paving the way for capital improvement project funding, permitting, and private sector development.
Egan Highway Reconstruction (2002)
As subcontractor to USKH, Sheinberg Associates coordinated public involvement program for Egan Highway reconstruction along Juneau’s downtown waterfront.
Bristol Bay Salmon Fishery Restructuring Study (2002)
Work for Bristol Bay Economic Development Corporation to design process and facilitate public meetings in Naknek and Dillingham, Alaska, in June 2002 to hear and discuss ideas about improving the Bristol Bay salmon fishery. A total of 240 people attended the two meetings – including fishermen from all gear groups and districts, processors and community members. Sheinberg prepared summary reports.
Point Lena Environmental Assessment and Traffic Mitigation (2001)
Design and conduct the public involvement program for the CBJ decision on an access route to new National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) science facility at Point Lena in Juneau, Alaska. Sheinberg prepared significant portions of the Environmental Assessment analyzing alternative access routes, including: purpose and need, proposed actions and project alternatives, scoping process summary, biological conditions, human conditions, historic and cultural resources, visual quality, recreation, land use, and cumulative effects.
Gastineau Avenue Reconstruction (2001)
Design and conduct public involvement process for major reconstruction of downtown Juneau residential street. Included information sheets, newsletters, door-hanging mailers, public and neighborhood meetings. Sheinberg was subcontractor to USKH Inc.
Petersburg Transportation Impact Study (2000)
Assist the Alaska DOT&PF ad the City of Petersburg in understanding the socioeconomic impacts that will likely result from implementation of the Southeast Alaska Transportation Plan (SATP). Sheinberg Team forecasted ferry travel to and from Petersburg that can be expected as the SATP is implemented, assessed the socioeconomic impacts this level and type of travel will have on the community --- including an in depth look at freight impacts, and developed a list of actions and projects, most with associated costs to address the likely impacts. Final products include R&M Engineering preliminary cost estimates and engineered concept plan drawings that Petersburg will be able to use to pursue project financing.
The public involvement process to accomplish this work included public meetings, newsletters, posting information on the City’s webpage (with help from the City librarian) close work with the media and the City’s Transportation Advisory Committee, and coordinating between the City and ADOT&PF.
Haines Public Use and Access Plan (2001)
Work with City of Haines staff, Council, planning commission residents to identify future public access and use of coastal areas and develop series of recommended improvements (and funding options) to enhance such use.
Mendenhall Watershed Partnership (2000)
Seek stakeholders, provide staff support, and facilitate meetings for three-years of a citizen-led watershed management and pollution reduction effort for the Mendenhall River watershed, Juneau. Ensure this diverse group emphasizes point of consensus.
Skagway Comprehensive Plan (1999)
Prepare City of Skagway Comprehensive Plan. Project included multiple public meetings, a Community Opinion Survey, a town meetings to report survey results, two project newsletters distributed to all residents, and more.
Pelican Comprehensive Plan (1998)
Help the community of Pelican, Alaska develop its first Comprehensive Plan in 1998. Issues included community response to the structural changes in the fishing industry — particularly the advent of Individual Fishing Quotas, the recent purchase of the community's seafood processing plant (the largest employer and tax payer) by Kake Tribal Council, the need to lower transportation costs, and determining how much and what types of tourism and recreation uses the community desired. Sheinberg helped the community address, plan for, and act on these difficult resource issues. The public involvement process included a community “visioning” exercise, a Community Opinion Survey and consensus building forums, large community meeting/potluck/dance, newsletters and more. These “tools” helped reach and build community consensus and prepare plan policies.
Kootznoowoo Corporation/City of Angoon14(c) 3 Land Plan (1997)
Work with Kootznoowoo and City of Angoon to identify mutually acceptable 14c3 land conveyances and prepare land use plan. Included conducting multiple community meetings and work with steering committee.
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