San Diego Public Affairs Firm Excels in Construction Outreach

SAN DIEGO - Sept. 26, 2014 - PRLog -- Southwest Strategies, LLC (SWS) has quickly become a local leader in construction project public outreach.  As a top public affairs entity in the region, SWS currently manages community relations for a total of $4 billion in infrastructure projects, including the largest seawater desalination project in the western hemisphere, the Carlsbad Desalination Project, and South San Diego’s main travel corridor, Interstate 805 (I-805).

Since its formation in 2000, partners Alan Ziegaus and Chris Wahl have built SWS into a full-service public affairs firm that has successfully guided construction projects from conception to completion.  SWS has, and continues to, successfully lead numerous projects through these phases, including the Sunrise Powerlink, the I-805 South Express Lanes Project and the Carlsbad Desalination Project.

In 2005, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) announced plans to build the Sunrise Powerlink, a 118-mile, 500 kilovolt (kV) transmission line that would connect solar and wind power in Imperial County to San Diego. SDG&E hired SWS to develop a public affairs program to educate stakeholders and the public about project benefits and build a regional support coalition to help secure approvals.  SWS successfully helped the project win the California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC) approval in 2008.  Within three months of receiving CPUC approval, SWS developed and launched a comprehensive community outreach campaign to minimize disruptions during construction and ensure the project’s completion in 2012.A series of open houses were held along the approved route leading up to construction. Additional outreach activities included conducting presentations to organizations and planning groups, developing fact sheets on relevant topics, maintaining a website, distributing a project newsletter, participating in events and providing regular construction update eblasts.

Similarly, in 2010, SWS was hired by the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) to develop and launch an extensive public outreach campaign to guide the organization and Caltrans through the environmental review and construction stages of the I-805 South Express Lanes Project.  The project includes the construction of Express Lanes and new entry points for buses and carpools to access those lanes, a transit station and sound and retaining walls.  After successful completion of the environmental review stage, SWS began assisting SANDAG and Caltrans with the development and implementation of an extensive public outreach campaign aimed at informing community members about the project’s upcoming construction activities and their impacts.  Outreach efforts include the distribution of more than 18,000 project newsletters, in both English and Spanish, to community members along the project route.  SWS’ continuing efforts have been deemed a success by Caltrans/I-805 South Project Manager, Ramon Martinez, “Southwest Strategies has provided excellent communication outreach services for the I-805 South Express Lanes Project during both the environmental review and construction phases of the project,” said Martinez.

SWS also coordinates public outreach for the Carlsbad Desalination Project, which when completed, will be the largest seawater desalination project in the western hemisphere.  The construction of the plant and 10-mile desalination pipeline requires extensive public outreach to local residents, businesses, environmental groups and federal, state and local governments. The Carlsbad Desalination Project team has presented to more than 30 community organizations, held dozens of public meetings, distributed nearly 50 eblasts and maintains a scale media program since beginning pipeline construction in early 2013. SWS is responsible for ensuring that the public is aware of the construction of the plant and pipeline that, at times, cuts through residential areas and business parks.

SWS takes a focused and strategic approach to each of its projects.  The firm utilizes multiple programs to reach out to communities during construction.  Some of these tactics include eblasts, newsletters, door-to-door outreach, public meetings, meetings with businesses, key opinion leader audits and project specific social media campaigns.

The Carlsbad Desalination Project required an extra hands-on approach.  To ensure that the project moved forward without delay in a specific residential neighborhood, SWS staffed an on-site construction liaison role to ensure that there was someone available to the public for questions or concerns at all times.

“Having a construction liaison in the field made our outreach efforts more seamless and efficient.  We were able to answer any questions and address any concerns that the public had immediately, reducing delays in construction or unnecessary disruptions to the surrounding community,” stated Chris Wahl, President of SWS.

SWS is currently providing public outreach services for a variety of major construction projects, including the North Coast Corridor Program, the LOSSAN Rail Corridor, South Bay Bus Rapid Transit and State Route 11.

About Southwest Strategies

Southwest Strategies offers a full range of communications and strategic services for a diverse client list. The firm's services include public affairs, community relations, crisis communications, public relations, media relations and government affairs. The company has been ranked by the San Diego Business Journal as one of San Diego's top three public relations firms. Alan Ziegaus and Chris Wahl formed Southwest Strategies in April 2000.