HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-2021 MWMC Monthly Report 2021MWMC Communication Packet
April 15, 2021
Regional Wastewater Program Monthly Report— March 2021
WPCF Renaming – Exploratory Work memo
The next meeting will be Friday, May 14, 2021 at 7:30 a.m.
Photo Credit: David N. Jones
M E M O R A N D U M
DATE: April 7, 2021
TO: Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission (MWMC)
FROM: Loralyn Spiro, Lead Communications Coordinator
SUBJECT: WPCF Renaming – Exploratory Work
ACTION
REQUESTED: Communication Packet
_____________________________________________________________________
ISSUE
At the September 2020 meeting, the Commission expressed interest in exploring a potential
name change for the Water Pollution Control Facility (WPCF) as part of a longer-term strategy
related to increasing awareness and name recognition of the MWMC.
BACKGROUND
The Commission has adopted a set of Key Outcomes that guide the Regional Wastewater
Program. Key Outcome #5 – Achieve and maintain public awareness and understanding of
MWMC, the regional wastewater system, and MWMC’s objectives of maintaining water quality
and a sustainable environment – is the guiding Key Outcome related to the MWMC
Communications program.
One tool aid in the MWMC’s aspirations of achieving Key Outcome # 5 is to perform periodic
market research to see if strategies and tactics are performing as expected. Therefore, in fall
2014, the Commission directed staff to conduct the MWMC’s first ever market research to
gauge public awareness and create a benchmark data for future comparisons. Data from that
research was used to update and refine the MWMC Communications Plan, including
objectives, strategies, and tactics.
The MWMC conducted a second round of market research in 2019/2020 and compared the
results to the 2014/2015 data. The 2020 findings showed that awareness of MWMC remained
low. Less than one-fifth of respondents were aware of the MWMC, and awareness levels were
unchanged from 2014.
Memo: WPCF Renaming – Exploratory Work
April 7, 2021
Page 2 of 3
-Communication Packet-
Based on the market research results, as well as the recent Phase 2 Strategic Communications
Planning work, the MWMC Communications Plan was again updated, with implementation in
January 2021.
The 2021 MWMC Communications Plan includes objectives, strategies, and
tactics to support the MWMC’s Mission, Vision, and Values Statements and continue the
efforts of increasing awareness of the MWMC. Additionally, the plan aims to build community
members’ understanding of the importance of clean water and protecting the environment,
with an overall strategy goal to increase community awareness so that more than 25 percent
of those surveyed can identify the MWMC.
DISCUSSION
After discussing information provided during the September 2020 presentation on the Phase
2 Strategic Communications Planning work, and considering the 2020 market research, the
Commission asked staff to explore a process for potentially renaming the WPCF as part of a
longer-term strategy to increase awareness and name recognition of the MWMC within the
community.
To create an outline to conduct the exploratory renaming work, staff considered the
following:
The effort and cost necessary to conduct market research
Surveys that have been conducted as part of the Mission, Vision, and Values work
Staff relationship with the treatment plant
Success of the implementation of the MWMC Communications Plan Appendix A –
MWMC Social Media Plan to grow and engage followers
The following is an outline for the exploratory work, which will consist of:
Staff survey – Regional wastewater program staff will be asked to participate in a five
to eight-minute survey (via SurveyMonkey). Questions will ask staff to provide their
insights for potential renaming options, based on their history, experience and
knowledge of the treatment plant, as well as interactions they have had with
community members. This survey will provide an opportunity for the Commission to
engage with all staff that work on behalf of the MWMC.
Staff focus group – Five to eight staff members will be identified to participate in a
one-hour focus group session conducted by the Communications team. The questions
to be asked during the focus group will be based on the staff survey results and will
help drill down into the results and identify the top three or four potential new names
to discuss with the Commission for consideration.
Social media posts – The Communications team will create an initial post to gauge
community members on their thoughts related to the WPCF’s current name. Then, a
secondary post will be created to ask community members to rank or vote on the top
potential new names. To achieve a higher participation rate, the interactive features of
each platform such as polls and question/answer boxes will be utilized. Once the
community members have provided input and feedback, Communications staff will
return to the Commission to provide an update.
Memo: WPCF Renaming – Exploratory Work
April 7, 2021
Page 3 of 3
-Communication Packet-
Overall, the outline provides a low-cost approach for the engagement of both staff and the
community to participate in potentially renaming the WPCF. This approach also provides for
staff input to carry a heavier weighting in the renaming process, to continue to build onto the
sense of pride that staff working on behalf of the MWMC have for their work.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends proceeding with this exploratory work as outlined. Staff will schedule to
report back to the Commission during the September 2021 meeting with recommended top
names for consideration, as well as potential next steps based on the results.
ACTION REQUESTED
Informational only.
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