As part of WGI’s role in developing the City of Fernandina Beach’s 2045 Vision Plan, meaningful public engagement was incorporated from the start and continued through the plan’s development. The WGI team began this process by introducing the project to the public via a virtual Planning Advisory Board meeting. The team presented a PowerPoint presentation via Zoom. It facilitated a SWOT exercise with the Board members to identify the City of Fernandina Beach’s strengths (S), weaknesses (W), opportunities (O), and threats (T).

The process then continued with the launch of the Vision 2045 web page, where surveys were conducted and marketed through the City’s various social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram). The WGI team developed a social media strategy consisting of Instagram posts, Facebook stories, tweets, hashtags, and a comprehensive schedule to coordinate among the different platforms. The online surveys allowed the team to reach over 1,000 Fernandina Beach citizens and gather their input and ideas for the Vision Plan.

The WGI team attended the Juneteenth Homecoming Celebration to gather in-person input from the residents. The event was chosen to increase the project’s outreach to Fernandina Beach’s African American community. This strategy allowed the team to engage with a demographic that is often overlooked and under-represented in planning and community visioning projects.

The WGI team also took charge in an interactive, outdoor planning workshop that featured visioning exercises, dot voting, and funding prioritization. Over 80 Fernandina Beach residents participated in the “Planning In The Park” Workshop.