STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PLAN

BLAIR REMY HAS DEVELOPED AN IMPROVED VISUAL TOOL TO ENHANCE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND PARTICIPATION DURING THE PLANNING PROCESS OF A STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PLAN. BELIEVING IT IS AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT OF ANY SUCCESSFUL STORMWATER MANAGEMENT INITIATIVE, PARTICULARLY IN A HIGHLY DEVELOPED URBAN SETTING, BLAIR REMY UTILIZES A CONCEPTUAL VISUAL COMPONENT AS THE KEY TO AN EFFECTIVE PROGRAM FOR COMMUNICATING WITH AFFECTED STAKEHOLDERS AND INCLUDING THEM IN THE PLANNING PROCESS.

PARTICIPATORY PLANNING, ALSO REFERRED TO AS COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT, REQUIRES VIGOROUSLY INFORMED COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE VARIOUS PARTIES. THE PUBLIC INFORMATION MODEL PRESENTED BY BLAIR REMY WAS DEVELOPED AS PART OF A LARGER PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT EFFORT ASSOCIATED WITH A MAJOR COMBINED SEWER REMEDIATION PROJECT FOR A CITY UNDER A CONSENT DECREE FROM A FEDERAL COURT. THE OVERALL GOAL OF ANY COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT PROGRAM IS TO CREATE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PLANS THAT ARE EMBRACED AND SUPPORTED BY THE AFFECTED CITIZENS. BLAIR REMY HAS SHOWN THAT THE PROCESS FOR ATTAINING THIS GOAL IS A WIDENING CIRCLE OF EVER INCREASING UNDERSTANDING AND PARTICIPATION WHICH IS MOST EASILY OBTAINED BY EXCELLENT CONCEPTUAL VISUAL COMPONENTS.