Community Engagement
The purpose of this community engagement plan (CEP) is to provide a framework of activities that will be conducted to advance the Coordinated Action Plan. Community members are encouraged to contribute to the continued development of this CEP and provide guidance on future community engagement efforts.
Across anti-displacement efforts, all partners are committed to centering the community’s voice in decision making. Throughout the planning of the Blue Line Extension, community members have participated by sharing their vision, concerns, and opportunities. Community feedback has been used to guide where the rail line will go and how infrastructure will be developed to support the community around it. This practice will continue before, during, and after construction so that support and investment continues to align with the community’s needs.
The purpose of community engagement is to facilitate community and partner conversations and processes for identifying and advancing priority actions that will be advanced by specific entities. Our community engagement plan will help achieve the following goals:
Ensure that existing residents and businesses to feel supported and involved in BLE anti-displacement planning and implementation.
Empower community members to have a voice in the anti-displacement decision-making process and resource allocation throughout the corridor.
Ensure public involvement in conversations about the implementation of anti-displacement strategies.
Inform interventions to prevent displacement with valuable community input and experiences.
1. INVEST in community outreach and engagement
(Before, during and after construction)
Focused Navigation & Outreach:
Hennepin County will contract and work closely with community-based organizations (CBO) in the corridor to provide outreach, services and support to corridor residents. The County will also leverage existing business navigation capacity through its Elevate Hennepin program. This support will help residents, businesses, and community members connect to services and resources to support them before, during, and after construction, and to identify unmet needs driving displacement of community members. Throughout the Coordinated Action Plan, we have noted specific actions to provide outreach or navigation in order to support the needs of different community members. See the section below for specific engagement activities.
Status: In place
Owners: Hennepin County
(Before, during and after construction)
One-Stop Shop:
Metropolitan Council will promote and sponsor a “one-stop shop” for BLE corridor residents and businesses to access resources such as programs, grants, project information, and more. The shop will be a physical brick and mortar or traveling community “storefront.” The one-stop shop would also develop a digital storefront and robust online presence to connect community members with a navigator to help them access applicable resources and information.
Status: In development
Owners: Metropolitan Council
(Before, during and after construction)
Mobile Application:
The Metropolitan Council could design a mobile application for the public to use and stay informed on closures and detours related to construction. This mobile app could also allow the public to make requests for action from BLE outreach staff to correct, help, or modify existing issues during construction.
Status: Under Consideration
Owners: Metropolitan Council
(Before, during and after construction)
2. INCORPORATE community input into all anti-displacement efforts
Planning & Implementation:
Throughout the Coordinated Action Plan, we have noted specific checkpoints to meaningfully engage the community and incorporate their feedback, especially when considering adaptations to existing services and resources.
Status: In place
Owners: Metropolitan Council, Hennepin County, Cities
(Before, during and after construction)
3. Continuously ALIGN support and investment with the community’s needs
Feedback, Evaluation, & Refinement:
Partners will develop and deploy continuous opportunities for feedback. This feedback loop will ensure the community’s voice continues to be centered throughout the process. Continuous community engagement will be used for all planning and investment, and will be a critical tool to evaluate the success of our actions and determine if and when we may need to change our approach to meet the community’s changing needs.
Status: In place
Owners: Metropolitan Council, Hennepin County, Cities
(Before, during and after construction)
Engagement Activities
All the activities described in the table below are opportunities for the public to ask questions and provide feedback on anti-displacement actions. The table below lists the current activities used by the project to engage with the community and community groups:
Engagement Activity | Purpose |
One-On-One Meetings | With property owners and other impacted individuals to collect input, and inform about project progress and offered services |
Door-Knocking or Canvassing | To notify specific affected properties and to drop off meeting notices |
Intercept Surveying | To collect transit riders feedback on related activities |
Community Workshop | Will engage the community about specific topics and have in-depth discussions about project progress, strategic approaches, and other topics. |
Group Engagement | Meeting with existing organizations and business groups on target issues, including asking groups to host discussions |
Public Meeting/Open House | To share project updates, answer questions, and solicit public input with interactive materials |
Public Townhall | Includes a presentation, questions/discussions, and is more formally facilitated |
Public Listening Session | To allow for community members to provide verbal and written feedback to project staff with a discussion |
Public Hearing | Presentation with a court reporter present to transcribe public comments. Comments are available publicly after the hearing |
Community Event Participation | Pop-up information tabling to provide project details and input opportunities at spaces where people are already gathering in the community |
Arts Engagement | Arts activities and products to engage the public |
Publicly Shared Emails | To receive general comments or specific responses to a solicited issue |
Online Surveys or Comment Forms | To survey the community on project options or alternatives |
Youth Outreach | Outreach with youth through pop-ups, community block parties, newsletter, survey opportunities and other coordination with schools and youth-focused activities/ groups (i.e., PCYC and Juxtaposition Arts, nearby schools) |
Project Advisory Committees | Advisory committees are a key avenue through which the Metropolitan Council and Hennepin County receive public input. Project advisory committees enable the project team to receive advice and feedback from policymakers, government entities, community groups, businesses, and citizens |
YourBlueLine Website | Hennepin County hosts a website for this project that includes forum boards and other opportunities for the public to submit feedback at: YourBlueLine.org |
Social media | Sharing out ACPP information through ADPP board member social media networks, CBO networks and other willing partners |
Video | Production of informational video shorts for sharing through social media networks |
Community media networks | Schedule informational interviews in both community newspapers, project newsletters, and radio stations |
Translations | Provide public facing project materials in Spanish. Other language groups such as Lao, Hmong, Vietnamese, Oromo and Somali offered upon request |
Stakeholders and Participants
The following list identifies stakeholders who will be directly or potentially impacted by the project and how we expect to involve them in anti-displacement efforts. The level of involvement of each of these stakeholders may vary depending on the potential impacts and may change over time.
Involve | Collaborate |
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Communications Supports
The communications methods used to support engagement will be multi-faceted and accessible so content can be easily understood by community members. YourBlueLine.org will serve as a landing place for information, updates and feedback. Complementary communications will be shared by email, on social media, in print, and on other channels known to community. Communications toolkits will be shared with partners as needed.