INSIGHT INTO THE CSS TOOL BOX

Capturing Dynamic and Personalized Images for Municipal Outreach

 

Learn more about our team and the services we provide! Capital Strategic Solutions offers multiples tools to achieve robust feedback and communication within your community. Our professional team has years of experience in conducting a variety of outreach campaigns using a plethora of tools. One tool in our box, which has been incredibly useful across multiple projects is our Drone Photography and Video services.

Stephen Cronin is our licensed drone operator, giving us the ability to create clear and appealing imagery for any communication campaign. Stephen is a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Pilot with an FAA Part 107 Remote UAS (drone) pilot certification. Stephen oversees the evaluation of all aspects of the flight planning preparation, including managing equipment, conducting a weather evaluation, authoring and submitting FAA clearances and waivers for flight operations within and outside of controlled airspace. Stephen’s experience in this preparation process relieves our partners of the burden of having to navigate the many clearances, limits, and guidelines of drone use, so that our team can create impactful images that meet the objectives of the project while adhering to federal, state, and local regulations.

Stephen’s skill in navigating regulations of drone use, and his understanding of how to capture images that assist municipal communication campaigns, comes from his long career working for the then town and later City of Framingham. Stephen began working in the Framingham Police Department in 1996 and served in a multitude of positions from Patrol Officer, to Sergeant of the Traffic Safety Division, to Lieutenant, Commander of the Safety Division, and eventually retiring from the department as Lieutenant Commander of the Day Shift Patrol Division. This experience working for the public has given Stephen a deep understanding of how much of the work in municipal government goes unseen. By understanding all that goes into the work done in the municipal world, Stephen is able to apply that knowledge to his drone photography and videography. This experience has also made Stephen incredibly comfortable working in and around work sites, as he is familiar with navigating construction areas, so images can be captured without disrupting work flow.

Using drones to capture images of infrastructure projects has been a very useful tool in outreach campaigns. Community members primarily interact with public infrastructure projects through adjustments to traffic patterns during construction. Often times the end result is water infrastructure which isn’t visible after completion, and community members rarely see the depth of work that goes into these projects. Gathering drone footage is a non-disruptive way to show the work that often goes unseen and using footage from your specific project during outreach campaigns makes municipal government more transparent and approachable. The dedication and work of public servants can often go unnoticed, but when physical work is being done, the ability to document the progress and share that with the community builds a stronger support between community and government.

CSS has run several successful outreach campaigns for infrastructure projects and has kept communities informed and involved in all stages of projects. A few of these examples are…

 
  • Mirimishi Bridge Replacement Project, Plainville, MA. As the existing bridge was structurally deficient, the replacement included the removal of the existing bridge, construction of a new concrete bridge, with guardrails and appropriate signage. Construction activities began in the late summer of 2019 closing the bridge to pedestrian and vehicular traffic and required an extensive detour.

  • Downtown Clinton Revitalization Project, Clinton, MA. The Downtown Clinton Revitalization Program included streetscape and transportation improvements in support of commerce, investment, community pride, and the quality of life that we are all able to enjoy in Clinton. Funding for the reconstruction of High and Church Streets was provided by the Town’s Infrastructure Stabilization Fund, and by a $1.5 million grant from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Massworks Infrastructure Program, which targets infrastructure projects that support housing production, spur private development, and create jobs.

  • Shrewsbury Street Doyle Road Transportation Improvement Project, Town of Holden. The proposed project consists of improvements to approximately a 1.15-mile section of the Shrewsbury Street Corridor, including portions of Main Street, Holden Street, Chapel Street and Doyle Road. Proposed improvements include the reconstruction of the existing traffic signals at the intersections of Shrewsbury Street with Main Street, and Chapel and Holden Streets, as well as construction of a roundabout at the intersection of Shrewsbury Street with Mount View Drive and Doyle Road. The project is programmed in the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program for Federal Fiscal Year 2023. The project includes roadway widening and geometric improvements at the various intersections, along with traffic signal upgrades, safety improvements, and pedestrian and bicycle accommodations. The project also includes an 8-foot separated shared-use path that runs the full length of the project that will be a dedicated walking and bicycling path. Other enhancements include new storm drain improvements, granite curb, concrete sidewalks, and landscaping features.

“We brought Capital Strategic Solutions into the Shrewsbury Street Doyle Road Transportation Improvement Project to develop an outreach campaign with the purpose of educating the citizens about the project and the funding opportunity for the Town. CSS has been working diligently by our side, engaging community members in preparation for our fall town meeting. Their assistance with this endeavor has allowed us to focus on our next steps and our day-to-day operations,” said John R. Woodsmall, P.E., Director of Public Works, Town of Holden

Any outreach campaign requires using multiple tools to your advantage, visually dynamic and recognizable photos and videos are able to give a well crafted campaign an extra leg up. CSS’s outreach services can offer tailored solutions to any community’s communication needs. Our drone photography and videography services are just one facet of how we are dedicated to creating transparency and building trust in communities. So much of the work done in municipal government doesn’t get the full attention and understanding it deserves, and community members themselves deserve to see the work being done for them by the public servants of their town or city. Our experience in municipal government, and in crafting outreach campaigns for infrastructure projects, water quality issues, and grant opportunities across New England has allowed us to hone these skills for our clients and partners.

Meet Our Team

Capital Strategic Solutions is a Women Owned Business Enterprise (WBE) made up of former municipal employees with decades of experience in local government. Since 2014 we have operated throughout communities in New England to build trust through transparency while enhancing community engagement. Our team has the experience and expertise to assist any community through a multitude of services. Whether it be public communications during a water quality issue, maintaining meeting minutes, or advising departments on financial and budget reports, we are committed to providing resources equitably to the benefit of our client communities.

Contact us at info@capital-strategic-solutions.com or call 508-690-0046 to schedule a meeting.