ElevenLabs_2025-06-23T20_18_56_Brian_pre_sp103_s35_sb39_se0_b_m2

The speaker is a volunteer lead for a community walking trail project approved by a 5-3 council vote. The project aims to promote health and connectivity. Stakeholder engagement is crucial to address concerns and ensure transparency. Council members play a significant role as influential stakeholders, with some expressing valid concerns. Strategies include regular updates, respectful engagement, and managing dissent effectively. Engagement with advocacy groups and community members is vital to address diverse interests and ensure support. Technical experts will guide safety and compliance, with ongoing management focused on real-time adjustments and conflict prevention. Good morning council members and thank you for this opportunity. I'm honored to serve as a volunteer lead for the community walking trail initiative. Today I will walk you through our stakeholder analysis, an essential framework that guides how we engage with various groups throughout this important project's planning, development, and implementation. This strategy ensures we uphold ethical leadership, respond to community needs, and keep this council well informed and at the center of all key decisions. As you know a five to three vote in council chambers approved the walking trail project. The five mile trail is intended to promote physical health, provide safe recreational space, and strengthen connectivity across our community. At the same time the mixed vote outcome underscores the need for thoughtful transparent stakeholder engagement. This isn't just about building a trail, it's about navigating concerns, balancing competing priorities, and ensuring all voices including dissenting ones are respected. I coordinate these efforts with integrity and alignment to the council's expectations. Council members, you are our most influential stakeholder. Interest mixed, five council members voted in favor of the project while three opposed it, voicing valid concerns over funding, prioritization, and community needs. Influence, high. You determine budget allocations, provide policy oversight, and shape the narrative and longevity of this project through your leadership. Engagement strategy, we will provide monthly progress updates tailored to council priorities. Invite all council members to planning sessions and site visits with transparency at every stage. Create private respectful forms for dissenting members to voice ongoing concerns or suggest adjustments without political polarization. Ongoing management, we'll apply Freeman's stakeholder typology to distinguish supportive, marginal, and opposing positions and remain agile as those dynamics evolve. We aim to maintain consistent two-way communication and earn unified support as the project develops. One major advocacy group in our community has strongly opposed this initiative. Interest negative. Their position is clear, using city funds for a walking trail is unconscionable, especially given the urgent, unmet need for a new homeless shelter. Influence, medium to high. This group can mobilize public sentiment and attract media attention, particularly around budget justice and social equity. Engagement strategy, host facilitated listening sessions to understand their concerns respectfully. Form a joint committee to explore overlapping goals such as integrating wellness resources or outreach stations along the trail. Keep open ongoing communication channels to shift from opposition to potential collaboration over time. Ongoing management, we will monitor public discourse, council meeting commentary, and advocacy messaging and seek opportunities for shared value alignment without ignoring their criticisms. Our community members, the people who will use, fund, or be impacted by the trail, represent a broad range of interests. Interest mixed. Some residents are excited about improved recreation and walkability, while others are concerned about tax use, land access, or noise. Influence, medium. Their input drives public perception, local elections, and usage rates. Engagement strategy, host town halls across multiple neighborhoods. Launch public surveys and place suggestion boxes at community centers. Establish a community advisory panel with rotating representatives from affected districts. Ongoing management, we'll gather feedback through QR codes and kiosks installed along the trail post-launch. Survey data will guide real-time adjustments and the advisory panel will meet quarterly to ensure community voices remain central. These are our technical experts whose knowledge ensures safety, compliance, and feasibility. Interest, positive. They view this as a valuable project aligned with urban renewal and sustainable design goals. Influence, high. Their recommendations affect zoning, permitting, environmental compliance, and timeline management. Engagement strategy, involve them from day one in trail design, permitting, and mapping. Have them present technical progress to the council and the public. Establish a clear workflow with defined milestones and check-ins. Ongoing management, implement a conflict flagging system to detect zoning or infrastructure concerns early and avoid delays or budget overruns.