Purpose
Community satisfaction with the Bureau’s projects is critical. The purpose of this Chapter is to discuss the role of the Project Manager and the Project Delivery Team working with the community, Neighborhood Councils, Council District offices, and other stakeholder groups.
REFERENCES
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RESPONSIBILITIES
Project Manager (PM): The Project Manager is generally responsible for all coordination and communication with the community, Neighborhood Councils, Council District offices, and the Public Affairs Office (PAO) regarding the project.
Project Engineer (PE): The PE will often participate in meetings with the community, Neighborhood Councils, and Council District offices during the design phase of the project.
Construction Manager (CM): Once a project enters the construction phase, the CM will often take the lead in dealing with the local community, Neighborhood Councils, and the Council District offices on construction related impacts. During construction, the CM must maintain close coordination with the PAO on all community matters.
Environmental Management Group (EMG): The EMGis responsible to assist the Project Manager in determining the type of environmental review documents required and their preparation. If public meetings are required during the environmental review process, EMG is responsible for arranging these meetings.
Public Affairs Office (PAO): The PM, PE, and CM must coordinate with the PAO on all matters involving the public. The PAO may assign a designated representative for a particular project. The PAO representative for the project should be notified of any meetings with the community, Neighborhood Councils, Council District offices, and any other public contacts. The general rule is to keep the PAO informed of any significant contacts or events that involve the public or the City’s political offices.
Owner/Client Department/Council Office: The Owner/Client department, working with Council Office representatives, is responsible for coordinating with the Project Manager to facilitate community involvement, particularly during the early stages of the project. They are to assist with arranging community meetings, as required.
PROCEDURE
Background
The trend is for the community to become increasingly involved in the project delivery process. For those projects that require environmental review documents, the community involvement process is extremely formalized and occurs near the beginning of the design work.
The affected Council Office is usually very concerned about public perception. When necessary, the Council Office will arrange for community meetings, where the project alternatives are presented to community members and their concerns are identified and discussed. If addressing the public’s concerns will require additional funding, the Council Office typically weighs the concerns of the community and the available funds, and makes a recommendation on how to proceed.
The larger the impact a project has on a community, the more likely it is that community members will become involved. Some potential impacts to the community are a change in the aesthetics of the area, not wanting the proposed facility in the area, tree removals, construction noise, dust, and traffic circulation among others. Residents may also be concerned that widened roadways will cause faster traffic and increase the risk of accidents.
Projects in the public right-of-way often impact the businesses and residences directly adjacent to the work. Every effort must be made early on in the process to advise affected community members of upcoming work so they can be prepared. Business owners should be advised that, if they feel they are adversely impacted economically, there is a formal process for pursuing compensation. The Project Manager should contact the Board of Public Works’ Public Affairs Office and use their services to interface with the public.
Several programs have developed a variety of citizen committees. These include citizen committees established by the Mayor and City Council for several of the Bond Programs including the Zoo, Proposition F (for fire stations and animal shelters), Proposition Q (for police stations), and Proposition O (for stormwater quality improvements). These committees were designed to give private citizens the opportunity to present their input regarding the impact of proposed projects on surrounding communities and to make suggestions regarding both the specific facilities and overall performance of the program. The Project Manager should consult with the Program Manager and Council Office regarding citizen committees involved in each program.
Neighborhood Councils
Neighborhood Councils are a broadened form of government that allow a body of public members to have access to the City’s decision-making processes and provide their input. The goals and objects of the Neighborhood Council system are:
Promote public participation in City governance and decision making processes so that government is more responsive to local needs and requests and so that more opportunities are created to build partnerships with government to address local needs and requests.
Promote and facilitate communication, interaction, and opportunities among all Neighborhood Councils regarding their common and disparate concerns.
Facilitate the delivery of City services and City government responses to Neighborhood Councils’ problems and requests for assistance by helping Neighborhood Councils to both identify and prioritize their needs and to effectively communicate those needs.
Ensure equal opportunity to form Neighborhood Councils and participate in the governmental decision making and problem solving processes.
Create an environment in which all people can organize and propose their own Neighborhood Councils so that they develop from the grassroots of the community.
Foster a sense of community for all people to express ideas and opinions about their neighborhoods and government.
Many Neighborhood Councils have already been formed. However, the level of interest and activity within Neighborhood Councils is variable. It remains to be seen just where these Councils will continue to form and what interest each will have in Public Works projects. The Project Manager should contact the Council Liaison’s office to determine which, if any, Neighborhood Councils exist in the project area and how Bureau staff should communicate with these Councils.
The Project Managers should coordinate their project with the certified Neighborhood Council for the project area. The Department of Neighborhood Empowerment (DONE) has certified Neighborhood Councils for most areas of the City to date, however, a few areas are not currently covered by certified Neighborhood Councils, and a few jurisdictions have more than one Neighborhood Council certified. Project Managers should check which Neighborhood Council(s) is (are) certified for their project area by entering the project address or location in the "Neighborhood Info" entry box at https://lacity.gov/neighborhoodinfo, the results box will provide along with other information, the certified Neighborhood Council for the area.
If no Neighborhood Council is shown as certified for the project area in “My Neighborhood”, the PM should contact DONE directly to find out if there is a certified Neighborhood Council in the project area or one in the process of being certified.
Roles and Responsibilities
The Project Manager works with the EMG early in pre-design to determine what type of environmental documentation is necessary and to identify the information that the EMG will need to prepare the documentation. If public meetings are required during the environmental review process, EMG takes the lead in setting up the meetings. The Project Manager will present the project alternatives and various features of the project. Graphic displays are often very beneficial in helping the community understand project alternatives.
The Project Manager should remain in close contact with the Council Office, as needed, particularly during the early stages of the project. The PM establishes a key contact and then keeps that person apprised of project development. When sufficient information exists to describe the alternatives under consideration, the Council Office may elect to hold a public meeting in the project’s surrounding area to obtain feedback from the community. The Project Manager takes the lead in presenting the project alternatives and arranges for representation from other areas of the Bureau, as well as the Owner/Client department.
The Project Manager should also communicate, as necessary, with the affected Neighborhood Council(s) to determine what may be needed. The Neighborhood Council(s) may want to obtain information regarding all projects in their jurisdiction. They may want to receive copies of all actions going to the City Council, as well as the various Boards and Commissions and they may want to be involved in the evaluation of the project alternatives.
Project Signage
Project signs are a valuable way to advise the public of the type of project, its scheduled construction duration, and ways to obtain project information. They are to be utilized on all projects. In fact, erection of the project sign should be one of the first actions taken by the construction contractor. The Project Manager should ensure that, prior to and during all projects, signs with appropriate information regarding the project type, duration and contact phone numbers, are placed on site in accordance with Standard Plans S-791-1 (Attachment 1.6-1) and S-790-0. Standard Plan S-791-1 depicts the normal project sign requirements for projects in the public right-of-way. Likewise, typical sign details are shown in Standard Plan S-792-0 (Attachment 1.6-2). The Project Manager should ensure that these sign requirements are included in the plans and specifications for all such projects.
Communication
Effective communication is an essential element of every successful project. Project-level communication should: inform appropriate parties about the progress of the project so their contributions can be efficiently coordinated, ensure that interested and involved parties are given notice and the opportunity to contribute to the success of a project, and ensure that the project status is effectively, promptly and properly disseminated.
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