{"id":969,"date":"2016-06-10T10:09:59","date_gmt":"2016-06-10T15:09:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/aapaseaports.naymicrosite2.wpengine.com\/?p=969"},"modified":"2020-04-23T08:04:31","modified_gmt":"2020-04-23T13:04:31","slug":"ports-strengthen-partnerships-via-community-outreach-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aapaseaports.com\/index.php\/2016\/06\/10\/ports-strengthen-partnerships-via-community-outreach-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Ports Strengthen Partnerships Via Community Outreach"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ports Strengthen Partnerships Via Community Outreach<\/strong><\/p>\n

By Kathy A. Smith<\/p>\n

Ports are involving local communities in several ways that help educate and engage stakeholders. This involvement not only acts as a way to bridge ports to their communities, it can encourage acceptance, involvement and even partnerships.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow we achieve outreach is with open communication,\u201d says Manuel Almira, executive director for the Port of Palm Beach. \u201cAnd that is our responsibility, to have an open door policy with any member of the public.\u201d Almira believes clear communication is also an important factor in engaging the public, community organizations and other stakeholders. \u201cIt is our responsibility to control the message. We try to control it as much as we can in order to avoid misinformation and resulting mistrust from the local community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Deciding what platform to use for a particular audience is key as well. Jade D. Davis, vice president of external affairs for the Port of Cleveland, says community organizations, for instance, usually have one or two central issues, such as water quality or water access, that they want addressed as opposed to the general public who may have several concerns on different topics. So in one scenario, if millennials in the business community are the intended audience, a three- to five-page PowerPoint presentation and email distribution might be the best ways to get messages out to this demographic.<\/p>\n

Evangeline Englezos, director of Community and Aboriginal Affairs for Vancouver Fraser Port Authority (VFPA) previously known as Port Metro Vancouver, says the port is experiencing unprecedented investment and growth and that it undertakes extensive engagement consultation activities when planning supporting tenant projects. \u201cWe\u2019re always looking to recognize what kinds of impacts we\u2019re bringing about in our community,\u201d she says. VFPA follows the International Association of Public Participation guidelines, which includes consultation with communities to ensure their concerns are addressed. The port also has three community liaison committees that are made up of diverse stakeholders in the community since the port borders on 16 different municipalities.<\/p>\n

Taking part in volunteering is central to how the Port of Corpus Christi engages its local community. \u201cWe don\u2019t just provide monetary assistance for events,\u201d says Rosie Collin, the director of community relations. \u201cWe\u2019re active participants in over 100 non-profit organizations and we participate in a variety of volunteer activities.\u201d The port is also active with area Chambers of Commerce and holds itself to high community stewardship standards. And it supports programs that beautify the community and others that encourage wellness. In the past five years, the port has given several million dollars to the community to support events.<\/p>\n

According to Collin, the Port of Corpus Christi supports three adoptive schools \u2013 meaning many volunteer activities are initiated at different times throughout the year. For instance, at Christmas, port and community volunteers will attend one of the schools, provide small gifts and sing carols. The port attends, organizes and sponsors many community organizations, such as an initiative last summer where the port supported the local food bank and helped to collect hundreds of pounds of food to assist families in the area. \u201cWe also support and invest in maritime stewardship programs with the Seaman\u2019s Center as well as community steward programs that enable others to give them a helping hand during times of need like Good Samaritan and other homeless shelters,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Public access events, such as Christmas at Canada Place, helps VFPA engage with the community during a two-week period of activities that are held along the promenade which include arts and crafts for children. In the summer, National Aboriginal Day, movie nights and Canada Day events are well attended, with a variety of activities for all ages. The port sponsors many community initiatives and educational programs such as a community school program \u2013 students learn about the Port of Vancouver through interactive displays at its recently-renovated Discovery Center \u2013 that offers fourth- and sixth-graders port-oriented presentations and activities. Additionally, VFPA hires students as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery summer we hire up to eight university students and they participate in roughly 40 local events and engage with the public to learn about the port and get information,\u201d Englezos explains. \u201cWe also work with high schools and the Grade 10 program. If students work in a workplace and volunteer for 100 hours, they get credits as part of their leadership program. When they complete their 100 hours, we give them an honorarium. So they augment the presence we have in the community.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Port of Palm Beach hires interns during the summer months so they can gain valuable work experience. \u201cFirst we determine what their chosen field of interest is and we try to accommodate them as much as we can, but the goal is to have interns exposed to different jobs at the port,\u201d says Almira. The port works with schools, Chambers of Commerce and other organizations as well. \u201cThe door is always open for discussions and tours,\u201d he says. \u201cWe really enjoy and look forward to having elected officials and legislators visit. We also reach stakeholders through traditional media and the many social media channels that have blossomed over the past 10 years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tours at the Port of Cleveland are ongoing \u2013 for the public, community organizations, as well as legislative groups. \u201cWe\u2019ve had the Speaker of the Ohio House and many other state legislators tour the Cuyahoga River looking at different infrastructure projects,\u201d says Davis. \u201cThis year, we\u2019re focused on getting more people out on boats to let them see our operations, our container yards and how we operate so they can feel more comfortable with us being here and speaking up for the importance of the port.\u201d<\/p>\n

Davis says the port has an aggressive plan to improve its social media reach and notes an increase in followers of 25 percent over the past few months. \u201cWe have conducted social media campaigns to engage our local community on port issues,\u201d he explains. \u201cWe\u2019re also actively engaged in creating research and development opportunities where we can utilize our local media to get the message out. We want to be very open about what we\u2019re doing here and how our local community benefits.\u201d<\/p>\n

Measuring outreach success is done at VFPA via annual surveys to track awareness of the port, concerns people have about impacts and their engagement preferences. Additionally a post-event tracking process is used for recording attendance and feedback. The port also tracks public complaints; unusual noise, for example. In fact, the port has 11 noise monitoring stations. \u201cWe can look at the data and can pinpoint the times,\u201d says Englezos. \u201cWe also have a feedback line, so we take calls or questions from the community and we follow up on them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Further, VFPA\u2019s Community Awareness Campaign includes traditional advertising on TV, radio and social media. It increased public understanding of the port authority\u2019s mandate and overall favorable impressions for the port\u2019s operations and growth.<\/p>\n

Community consultation around a variety of issues such as environmental and infrastructure is, of course, good policy so that all stakeholders feel they have a say. VFPA looks for ways to involve the community both by informational meetings as well as open consultations with various port and terminal operator projects. Englezos says the port is very clear about what is considered a consultation topic and what involves primarily information dissemination in order to ensure there are no unrealistic expectations. For example, when the port built a roadway on the north shore, the public was consulted on visual impacts such as the type of proposed fencing, using various visual mock-ups of options.<\/p>\n

In regard to public access to information, one initiative involved VFPA opening an office in Delta in late 2014, where the port\u2019s largest container terminal is located. Another container terminal is being proposed in the same area. The port wanted to ensure local residents with concerns could be accommodated appropriately. \u201cThe office is open Wednesdays through Saturdays so community members don\u2019t have to drive all the way downtown to meet someone from the port,\u201d says Englezos. \u201cThey can get information and have their questions answered in their community.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe work with the public to keep them engaged with environmental issues,\u201d says the Port of Cleveland\u2019s Davis, who notes the port operates several boats that consistently clean the harbor as well as the Cuyahoga River. \u201cOne project we\u2019re currently working on is the disposal and processing of dredged sediment,\u201d he says. \u201cWe\u2019re working closely with environmental groups to make sure they understand exactly what our plans are, exactly what beneficial uses we can make of the sediment and how we plan to help protect Lake Erie and our drinking water.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the Port of Palm Beach, educating the public about short sea shipping is central to understanding the port\u2019s role in moving goods, according to Almira. The port is connected to several communities, including the township of Palm Beach, the City of West Palm Beach and many others along the agricultural sector of Palm Beach County. Sugar cane is grown and cultivated on nearby agricultural lands and is trucked to the port for barging to national destinations.<\/p>\n

There have been some public concerns over the deepening and widening of the harbor. Many residents have been under the incorrect assumption that these infrastructure projects would mean the port would start seeing Post-Panamax-size vessels calling. The port, along with the Army Corp of Engineers, has put out a plan to dredge down to 39 feet from its current 33 feet. \u201cResidents of the Township of Palm Beach have been misinformed,\u201d says Almira. \u201cPost-Panamax vessels would never call here. With every presentation, whether one-on-one or in groups, we stress that we know our limits and we will not go beyond them.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s clear that ports must walk a fine line to balance their economic and expansion needs and manage their environmental impact while working hard to be seen as a partner in the community. \u201cWe understand that ports are a huge economic engine locally, but it\u2019s also very important that we contribute to the community and ensure we\u2019re thriving together,\u201d says VFPA\u2019s Englezos. The Port of Cleveland\u2019s Davis adds, \u201cWhat we\u2019ve found is if we keep an open dialogue, the port is no longer seen as an intruding business unit, rather a partner that provides economic development, environmental stewardship and green space that residents can utilize year-round.\u201d<\/p>\n

Collin at the Port of Corpus Christi says it is an honor and a responsibility that, as a port, it gives back. \u201cThat\u2019s why we allow our employees to serve on boards that will help augment our community, especially in addressing community needs,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Almira from the Port of Palm Beach perhaps says it best. The port\u2019s logo, which states \u201cImport. Export. Your Port.\u201d embodies the message that the port is a business that \u201cbelongs\u201d to the people in the community. \u201cWe may manage it. We may be the administrators,\u201d he sums up, \u201cbut at the end of the day, it\u2019s their port.\u201d In the age of full transparency, this approach seems to have taken a strong hold and looks to be the future of positive community relations for ports.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ports Strengthen Partnerships Via Community Outreach By Kathy A. Smith Ports are involving local communities in several ways that help educate and engage stakeholders. This involvement not only acts as a way to bridge ports to their communities, it can encourage acceptance, involvement and even partnerships. \u201cHow we achieve outreach is with open communication,\u201d says …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":970,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[437,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-969","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community-involvement","category-features"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aapaseaports.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/969","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aapaseaports.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aapaseaports.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aapaseaports.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/30"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aapaseaports.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=969"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.aapaseaports.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/969\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aapaseaports.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/970"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aapaseaports.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=969"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aapaseaports.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=969"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aapaseaports.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=969"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}