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public outreach effort. The public outreach effort will span the entire project and therefore, this entire section is devoted to public outreach. Therefore, our public relations efforts will use a strategic mix of outreach tactics that vary depending on the neighborhood, phase of the project, and level of interest in the project. The following are some of the tactics that we recommend. Education During the planning and initial design phase, undertake a targeted educational campaign. This effort will inform the residents or owners about the project and the specific benefits of undergrounding including improved aesthetics, increase in property values, reduced day-to-day outages, reduced economic losses due to fewer outages after major storms and reduced injury from death from automobiles striking electrical poles. This campaign will also explain the undergrounding process including public hearings, design, notifications, construction process including paneling, trenching, cabling, cut-overs and pole removal and post construction including streetlights and trees. It will also include the preliminary schedule and costs. Outreach methods during this phase could include neighborhood open houses to provide residents a forum to address potential concerns, brochures, newsletters and direct mail, as well as high tech solutions via social media and web platforms. Securing Easements During the design, the public outreach team should focus on securing easements from landowners. This individualized effort should begin with a letter to request a meeting with the landowner via in person, web meeting, or telephone conference, and end with a direct conversation with the landowner. The goal of these two contacts will be to inform the land owner of the specific impacts to their property, the details for the easement that is needed, the reason why the easement is needed, the efforts that we propose to mitigate the impacts to their property (landscaping, fences, abandoning old easements, etc.). These conversations should include other professionals such as the engineers or landscape architects, as appropriate. Construction Phase During construction, the public outreach effort will keep residents fully informed of construction activities and the impacts it may have on their property. At this stage, the contractor should employ the use of newsletters, high-tech solutions, and a phone hotline to provide residents immediate access to a project representative. The information will include construction timelines, updates and successes. Updating this data on a weekly basis as the construction progresses is recommended. All property owners should receive notices prior to the start of construction. Property owners should receive an additional notice prior to any work occurring on private property. Approximately 6 months prior to the start of construction, property owners should receive a request to enter in to a written agreement allowing the contractor onto their private property in order to perform the trenching and other related work that will prepare their property to receive underground utility service. This agreement is referred to as a Permit to Enter. During the Trenching Phase, property owners should be notified by door hanger with the name and phone number for the trenching contractor who will be trenching on their property and in the street and then during the switch over phase, property owners should be notified by door hanger prior to the start of any work on private electrical panels. This door hanger provides a contact name and phone number for the electrical contractor who will be working on the property.