Tripepi Smith Outreach Culminates in Successful Completion of Foster City Levee Improvements Project
The City of Foster City engaged Tripepi Smith in January 2021 to deliver communications about the approximately $90M Foster City Levee Improvements Project. Over the course of the next three years, Tripepi Smith led robust community engagement efforts to proactively share project updates, address questions and concerns, and promote public awareness and support of the project – leading to the successful completion of the Levee Improvements Project in February 2024.
At the project outset, community members expressed concern about impacts the construction may have on cherished community resources. The Levee Improvements Project work spanned an approximately 6.5-mile stretch along the Bayfront and the popular Bay Trail. The project involved a combination of three different levee types along that stretch – earthen levee, hybrid sheet pile, and concrete flood wall. During construction, the City adopted a phased approach to temporarily close sections of the Bay Trail to facilitate construction activities.
To engage community members and help alleviate concerns about the project, Tripepi Smith worked with the City to implement an array of proactive communication efforts. The City launched a dedicated Levee Improvements Project website to share materials, information updates and frequently asked questions. The City also produced weekly social media updates and regular construction news emails to provide project updates and highlight milestones. Recognizing the importance of addressing community inquiries and providing information, the City established a dedicated Levee Improvements Project email address and hotline to promptly respond to public questions and concerns. Communications also included virtual community workshops, in-person meetings, both live-action and animated videos and printed materials such as detour maps, mailers and brochures.
“Building big projects is hard, especially one of this size in terms of both budget and scale in Foster City. Residents of Foster City voted overwhelmingly to support a tax to build this next generation levee project that will serve as a leading example for the entire Bay Area. I thank the community and City Council for their patience, resolve and support for something so big and so important,” said City Manager Stefan Chatwin. “Tripepi Smith was a critical partner for the City to keep our community informed throughout and worked hand-in-hand with our staff, consultants and the general contractor to help with public information and safety. Their work helped out our staff and brought the community along for the construction adventure.”
Principal Jennifer Nentwig led the engagement, together with Business Analyst Melanie Moore and Junior Business Analyst Ethan de la Peña. Principal Ryder Todd Smith played an early role as the engagement initiated, leading multiple community forums via Zoom.
“’This project is a game-changer for the community, and I give credit to the City for being a leader in the Bay Area and beyond in making levee improvements to address projected flooding risks. The City and its partners on this project were so helpful and open to the community engagement aspect of our work, and I deeply appreciate their support and transparency,” said Jennifer, who attended the project ribbon-cutting ceremony in February 2024 along with Melanie on the Tripepi Smith team. “It was exciting to stand on top of the levee at the final ribbon-cutting event and celebrate with the Foster City community. It is a big win for everyone involved.”
About the City of Foster City
Foster City is a waterfront city along the western shore of the San Francisco Bay in San Mateo County. With a population of more than 33,000, the City is known as one of the nation’s safest cities and is home to numerous business headquarters, educational institutions and world-class recreational opportunities.
About Tripepi Smith
Tripepi Smith is a California-based marketing, technology and public affairs firm that serves for-profit, nonprofit and public agencies. Its unique mix of marketing and technology prowess provides a competitive advantage to agencies seeking to leverage the internet to achieve their communication goals. The firm provides full content creation services, including: ghost writing, collateral development, photography, video production, aerial imagery, search engine optimization, email marketing campaigns and website design and execution. Tripepi Smith clients include: City of American Canyon, City of Culver City, City of Cupertino, City of Daly City, City of Duarte, City of Grover Beach, City of Santa Paula, City of Indian Wells, City of La Cañada Flintridge, City of Lake Forest, City of Livermore, City of Napa, City of Paramount, City of Tracy, CalChoice Energy Authority, California Joint Powers Insurance Authority, Santa Clara County Fire Department, Costa Mesa Sanitary District, Rowland Water District, California City Management Foundation, Renne Public Law Group, West Coast Arborists, Scripps College, Blind Children’s Learning Center and Climatec.