Clark County, Nevada is the most populous county in the state. With jurisdiction over the world-famous Las Vegas Strip and covering a land area the size of New Jersey, Clark County is the nation’s 11th-largest county with a population of more than 2.3 million residents.
Unlike other U.S. counties that report a primarily rural population, most of the county’s population resides in the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area. As a result many of the demographic characteristics of Clark county are reflective of a more urban environment.
Equity-based population highlights:
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- 33.7% report speaking a language other than English
- 15% of people are living in poverty (2021 ACS national poverty rate is 12.8%)
- 30.41% report being of Hispanic ethnicity
- 20.57% identify as a minority
The Citizen Engagement Challenge
To increase engagement with a consistent and predictable approach
Clark County provides extensive regional services to the more than 2.3 million citizens and an average of more than 45 million visitors a year. As a dynamic and innovative organization, Clark County is dedicated to providing top-quality service with integrity, respect and accountability.
Charged with developing Clark County’s first-ever sustainability and climate action plan, the Department of Environment and Sustainability (DES) made strategic use of a consultant firm, Kim Lundgren Associates (KLA). By acquiring KLA’s services, DES added internal capacity and support in creating the sustainability and climate action plan.
Consultants and county staff were facing a challenge; they needed to find a way to engage more community members on a regular basis. Their strategy was to grow and maintain engagement over time using consistent, predictable engagement.
Increased Community Engagement Powered by PublicInput
Using the PublicInput platform, the county team created a micro-site to serve as the “online home for the Department of Environment and Sustainability’s outreach and listening efforts.”
Above Screenshot:
Screenshot of the public facing departmental engagement micro-site
Using a mixed-mode approach, residents can choose the engagement method that works best for them, whether it is via email, online participation, SMS/text, or in-person formats.
From an administrative view, the consultant team and county staff were able to effectively monitor and manage engagement from all these sources from one unified location via the PublicInput platform.
Above Screenshot:
PublicInput product screenshot of the admin view of participant activity across all projects and modes.
Above Screenshot:
PublicInput product screenshot showing email and SMS text analytics tracking.
Above Screenshot:
PublicInput product screenshot showing public meeting analytics tracking.
Above Screenshot:
PublicInput product screenshot showing engaged participants by geographic location.
The Outcome
Using the PublicInput platform, the department team was able to expand their capacity to reach more residents. Following these efforts the Clark County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the All-In Community Sustainability & Climate Action Plan establishing Clark County as a strong climate leader for communities in their state, region, and beyond.
With a consistent and predictable approach, the department was able to:
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- Inform and engage the community around key department issues and initiatives.
- Offer a mixed-mode engagement approach that provides options like Email, SMS text messaging, and in-person formats to gather high quality input.
- Seamlessly collect community data for segmentation and planning purposes.
- Easily monitor and report on engagement in one centralized platform.
Want to learn more about how the PublicInput platform can increase community engagement in your community?
