PROP 218 FLOOD ASSESSMENT PASSES BY 70%

West Sacramento’s Levees at Major Risk After Re-Evaluation Process

Prior to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, West Sacramento achieved 400-year level flood protection, a major milestone shared proudly with people living and working in West Sacramento. But after Katrina, federal agencies re-evaluated levee requirements and found under-seepage and through-seepage vulnerabilities in levees throughout the U.S. West Sacramento’s levees were down-graded to less than 100-year level flood protection.

There were three major levees that needed major improvements to meet new federal standards and, without a local funding source in place, the City realized they’d need to conduct a Prop 218 mail-ballot assessment to secure a local share. Luckily for Lucy & Company, we were selected to conduct the public information program in 2007.

Early Listening & Targeted Engagement Bring Successful Outcome

The first phase (as always) was research, both qualitative and quantitative including:

• One-on-one interviews with CEOs, Chamber leadership, developers, neighborhood leaders, fraternal organizations, and neighborhood groups to hear concerns and ideas, validate messaging and build support. The outcomes helped shape topics and messages to test in the survey.
• Phone/email survey to obtain statistically valid data to use as foundation of messages to test in focus groups along with theme, tone and graphics testing.
• Focus groups (two resident, one business) to test ballot language, packaging, slogans, and visuals.

The primary theme used during the education phase embodied the tone and messages that resonated the most in the research: Serious about Safety. Serious about Flood Protection. A steady drumbeat of information and engagement helped ensure a successful outcome and included:

• Ongoing engagement with the Chamber, business community and residents (with particular focus to residents near levees) including workshops, kitchen table meetings and formal presentations.
• Third party endorsements by local leaders and organizations in social media, opinion-editorials and at presentations helped establish trust.
• Presentations to neighborhood groups, civic clubs, service organizations, environmental organizations and business groups by trusted messengers (Flood Agency staff tag teamed with community and business leaders).
• Impactful graphics and visual explainers showing seepage issues, funding needs, funding priorities, economic facts, demographic information, evacuation limitations, impacts of an unsuccessful assessment process, etc.
• Assessment calculator on website to provide accurate assessments by parcel by year.

The Prop 218 assessment passed with over 70% support, securing the local match needed to unlock state and federal dollars and begin long-term levee improvements. While the funding allocation from the federal government changed drastically after that, West Sacramento and elected officials were resourceful in finding additional funding and to use the local share efficiently and effectively.