Parks and Open Space unveils outreach guide; staff plan bilingual engagement, '7 points of contact' marketing and expanded community engagement

Heidi Wagner, deputy director of Strategic Foundations for Boulder County Parks and Open Space, presented the department’s new Public Outreach Guide at the May 22 Parks and Open Space Advisory Committee meeting. Wagner said the guide documents current outreach practice across the department, clarifies roles and expectations, and formalizes tools and tiers of engagement intended to improve inclusion, plain‑language communications and early outreach.

The guide groups outreach into four tiers: Tier 1 (large, complex management plans such as East Boulder Creek), Tier 2 (subject‑matter expert projects such as elk management), Tier 3 (operational notices such as closures and maintenance), and Tier 4 (real‑estate/acquisition projects). Wagner said tier selection drives staffing, tools and audience focus; the guide also includes messaging tips, accessibility best practices, logistics contacts and suggested methods for closing the feedback loop with the community.

Wagner emphasized several changes in practice: stronger plain‑language materials, expanded bilingual translations and interpreter provision at events, more use of visuals and video, presentations on site rather than only in meeting rooms, and efforts to meet people “where the community is” (for example, tables at community festivals). She introduced marketing concepts the department will pilot, including “7 points of contact” — the idea of delivering the same message through multiple channels so residents see it repeatedly via mailings, social ads and event outreach.

Wagner also described an internal realignment that created four deputy director positions and folded real estate, public information/outreach and resource planning under the Strategic Foundations deputy; she said funding and staff support vary by project tier. POSAC members asked operational questions and raised concerns. Joan Lutz and other members said they value subject‑matter science and urged that technical expertise remain central to outreach materials. Derek Turner and others suggested doing more joint briefings or field sessions with the Board of County Commissioners for major Tier‑1 projects to avoid repeating substantial public deliberation at the hearing stage.

Trace Baker and Christine Johnson pressed for clearer escalation protocols and guidance for staff when unanticipated public interest grows rapidly; Wagner acknowledged that staff are developing additional internal alignment tools and said the department will return with further implementation details (Wagner and director Therese Glowácki signaled plans to bring additional strategies and proposed practices before POSAC in October).

Wagner and department leadership also described a new community engagement team: staff and hires to expand bilingual outreach. The director said a new bilingual community engagement hire (Montserrat Alvarez) will join shortly and another hire (Jersnique/Jersnika Rose) will strengthen bilingual outreach; Wagner said roughly nine of 10 community‑engagement team members are bilingual. Wagner said the guide is public and will be expanded with related countywide communications and language‑access guidance.

Why this matters: POSAC members and staff emphasized that modernized outreach can improve the transparency and inclusiveness of land management decisions, but they also pressed staff to preserve scientific clarity, to plan for rapid escalation of public interest, and to explore joint engagement with county commissioners for major, potentially divisive Tier‑1 projects.

Next steps: Wagner said she will return with more detailed implementation tools and strategies in coming months, including additional guidance for staff on managing escalations and for improving cross‑department alignment.