Redevelopment Authority rethinks community outreach strategy

The Wareham Redevelopment Authority is rethinking its approach to communicating with residents about upcoming projects, and the board might soon have a new ally in its efforts: Tricia Wurts.

Wurts ran a late-stage write-in campaign to become a selectman in May but was ultimately unsuccessful in her bid, though she earned about 33 percent of the vote. Now that she’s jumped into town politics, members of the Redevelopment Authority are hoping Wurts’ years of strategic consulting expertise might come in handy. 

Board member Richard Swenson explained that he hopes Wurts might be able to help the town identify the best strategy for communicating its plans and ideas to voters — and for curbing misinformation.

“If we could get the real information out, I think we’d be surprised how much support we really have — if people understood it, and they trusted us,” he said.

At Swenson’s invitation, Wurts attended the June 24 Redevelopment Authority meeting to discuss possible approaches. The group discussed a variety of outreach ideas, including distributing a short monthly email newsletter, coordinating with neighborhood leaders and launching other social media efforts. 

Wurts explained that she thought the first step would be creating a communications map, which she described as a “map of how to best reach citizens.” She noted that residents in different age groups and demographics have different preferences in terms of communication.

“I can put together a process that will help you understand and recruit and educate the citizens that you need to reach,” Wurts said, adding that she could assist with implementing and adjusting the process as needed. 

Swenson said the upcoming Wareham Village rezoning initiative — which was designed to promote economic redevelopment of the village while preserving its character and encouraging small business uses — would be his main priority in terms of community outreach, and board member and Selectman Judith Whiteside agreed.

The board also discussed having Wurts help generate support for the revitalization efforts at Tremont Nail Factory. 

With the Tremont project moving forward and businessman Danny Warren making progress on his proposed marina and restaurant project at the Old Greer Lumber site, board members expressed hope that the town might be able to capitalize on the momentum and support to get the Wareham Village rezoning article passed at a future Town Meeting.

The board did not make any final decisions regarding how Wurts might work with the town moving forward and instead opted to discuss plans further at a later date.