Maries County, MISSOURI

Engagement Strategy

This engagement plan is a road map for Vichy Solar’s successful integration into the Maries County community. The plan outlines strategies Bantam and Vichy should pursue to obtain public support and secure required approvals if a zoning ordinance is implemented. The plan is divided into three phases:

(I) Planning and Initial Outreach
(II) Media Relations and Expanded Stakeholder Outreach
(III) Ongoing Campaign Management and Organized Support.

At this early stage, the team does not yet have visibility into what, if any, key voting moments for this project could be outside of a planning commission action. Our teams will vigilantly collect knowledge around the key players and produce a phase IV strategy to support final project decision-making when more information becomes available. If it appears that there are no major roadblocks to project approval, some of the engagement tactics listed may be unnecessary but are provided to give an idea of the extent of actionable items available. This document should be considered a living guide that adjusts as necessary.

Develop Relationships with Elected Officials & County Staff

Because zoning authority does not appear to have zoning codes or a planning commission in place, engagement will primarily be bilateral agreements with landowners, supplemented by interest group outreach (economic, agricultural, tourism, etc.) to manage community sentiment and reduce risks of opposition organization.

While Vichy Solar’s project appears to have no major obstacles to project approval, it is imperative to begin developing impactful relationships within the County. These interactions will help understand the community sentiment regarding solar development and anticipate potential opposition and roadblocks to project approval. Simultaneously, these relationships will help begin establishing Vichy’s positive presence in the community, build support for the project, and most importantly, demonstrate community engagement has been established.

Being mindful of potential ex parte communication concerns should the project come to a vote, meet with members of the Planning Commission to introduce Vichy representatives and share general information regarding solar development. These meet and greet opportunities can be utilized to understand general concerns regarding solar development. Vichy should also use this opportunity to learn more about local sponsorship and charitable giving opportunities important to the Commissioners and their constituents.

- Vic Stratman (Republican), Presiding Commissioner
- Douglas Drewel (Republican), Commissioner
- Ed Fagre (Democrat), Commissioner
Develop relationships with key county staff and area safety services representatives to ensure they are informed of project specifics and details that may impact their respective departments.

- County Assessor, Dana Simmons
- County Sheriff, Chris Heitman
Meet with the State Representative to obtain general support for the project. While in-direct decision makers, state representatives have the power to make policies that could ultimately impact the project’s viability.
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- Senator Mike Bernskotter (Republican, District 6)

Prioritize Economic Development Outreach

Meet with representatives of the local Chamber of Commerces and the Regional Planning Commission. Partnerships with these influential organizations can assist in promoting solar education, publicize community partnerships and spread awareness of the positive economic impact of the project.
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- Bonnie J. Prigge, Executive Director of Meramec Regional Planning Commission
- Donna Byington, Vienna Chamber of Commerce
- Sherry Licklider, Belle Chamber of Commerce
- Teresa Messersmith, R1 School District Superintendent

Prioritize Environmental & Agricultural Outreach

We recommend initial outreach to the following pro-solar organizations to explore potential partnerships that can lend credible, third-party support to the project. Of note — the development teams for Scopus and Vichy should unite on the outreach strategy below as it is state-wide and not county specific. We recommend running outreach as a united front.

Jared Opsal, Executive Director, Missouri Coalition for the Environment

James Owen, Executive Director, Renew MO

Gretchen Waddell Barwick, Chapter Director, Sierra Club Missouri

Frank Caro, Chairman, Missouri Energy Initiative

Engagement efforts in Phase I will inform the overarching communications and digital outreach strategy as efforts are expanded to include media, landowners, and surrounding community members.

Media Relations

Once primary stakeholders have been informed of the company’s plans, Vichy can launch a multi-media public relations campaign. The media campaign will help distinguish Vichy from other developers in the area, particularly those with less favorable reputations, and will also assist in demonstrating broad support for the project.

As expected, the media landscape in Maries County is very limited. We recommend focusing on the Maries County Advocate as the primary local news source for both print media buys and press releases for digital coverage. Of note, contributing columnist Phill Brooks has written several articles regarding local politics and signals a level-headed, bi-partisan mentality. He should be kept in mind for potential news stories or opinion pieces.
Pro-solar advertisements on Facebook and other digital channels, LTE’s, and radio can be utilized for expanded outreach. Potential messaging approaches could include “Farming Sunshine in Maries County” and “Clean Energy Powering Maries County Schools”.

Landowners

With five confirmed landowners and more anticipated to join the cohort, the following strategy is a roadmap for ensuring our teams leverage the power of local voices with a vested interest in the project’s success.

Confirm the landowner's contact database is up-to-date and accurate.
Create and manage ‘Good Neighbor’ contact list in the database as well.
Establish recurring communication through a monthly or quarterly newsletter, providing project updates and opportunities to support the project.
Create in-person landowner engagement opportunities for continued relationship building

- Plan a landowner dinner to be held at a Maries County business. The dinner will provide a venue for the Vichy development team to continue to develop critical relationships and answer questions in a 1:1 manner. During the event, the development team will give a short presentation on the power of solar for landowners or other relevant educational moments.

Surrounding Community Members

Recognizing that community members in close proximity to the project and general “residents with concerns” can have a significant impact on the permitting process, it is important to include these stakeholders in communication efforts early and often. The engagement tactics identified for community members are similar to those for the landowner cohort but are modified slightly for general public consumption.

Host a Community Open House to share project-specific information, answer community questions and concerns, and generate a list of potential supporters. The invitation can also be extended to landowners, county staff, elected officials, and influential community groups identified in Phase I.
Generate recurring mailers for stakeholders within proximity of the site, beginning with a letter detailing the project and showing a map of the proposed location. These mailings can be used at key milestones to ensure the public is well informed.

Community Sponsorships & Non-Profit Engagement

Establishing an impactful non-profit and community sponsorship presence can significantly bolster Vichy’s reputation within the area. Using information gathered during Phase I, Bantam can begin to develop a framework of the social causes most important to elected officials and residents. Potential opportunities could include:

Maries County Food Bank charitable donation and potential volunteer day for Vichy employees.
STEM education outreach (science fairs, classroom presentations on renewable energy, etc.) with Maries County R-I and R-II School Districts and the University of Missouri extension campus.
Participate in 4H Livestock Auctions in Vienna and Belle ( if a landowner's child is participating, consider bidding on their animal and donating it to the Maries County Food Bank).
Booth Presence at Community Events.
- The Maries County Fair, August 31-Sept 3
Breakfast or lunch meeting sponsorship and speaking opportunity at local civic organizations. Local organizations include the Fraternal Order of Eagles, VFW, Lions Club, etc.

Calls to Action

If the project does not have a key vote and is not encountering concerning amounts of opposition, this phase is unnecessary. However, should opposition occur and/or the project does go to vote, a robust call to action effort can be mobilized. Community organizing efforts can include:

Utilizing Facebook and social media to identify additional pro-clean energy supporters within the County.
Letters and signatures of support from influential parties identified in Phase I & II (economic development groups, nonprofit partners, environmental groups, etc.).
Phone calls of support to county officials.
Recruitment of supporters to attend the planning commission hearing if the project goes to a vote. Supporters will be encouraged to offer public comments in support of the project at the meeting.

In conclusion, our teams will vigilantly collect information regarding the key stakeholders involved with the project. When more clarity is obtained around the final voting moments, a phase IV strategy will be created to support final project decision-making. While this plan spans from initial contact to project completion, it only contains the contours of engagement and core touch points. Vichy and Bantam should always consider each subsequent step in light of new information gathered from on the ground. This roadmap should be considered a living guide that adjusts as necessary.