About Engage Olympia
Welcome to Engage Olympia, the City of Olympia's online engagement platform. The City of Olympia make better decisions when citizens have a voice in the process.
This online platform offers a variety of interactive tools, including discussion forums, polls, surveys and crowdsource mapping. Use Engage Olympia to contribute your ideas and ask questions about featured projects, at times that work best for you.
The City of Olympia will often use online feedback in conjunction with face-to-face opportunities – such as public meetings and open houses – to reach a more representative cross-section of our community.
How do I submit my feedback?
Submit your feedback via the online discussion forums, quick polls, forms and surveys relevant to each of the projects currently open for consultation.
To participate for the first time, simply:
- Sign up for Engage Olympia by clicking on the "Sign In" button in the top right of any page
- Choose a username and password
- Complete a few quick questions about you
- You will receive an email to validate your email address
- Return to the website and click the "Sign In" button
Note: Your comments will appear under your username, and you can comment anonymously through a username of your choice.
Why is the City of Olympia engaging online?
Traditional public consultation usually involves attending public meeting or providing written submissions to council, and this can often be time consuming and inconvenient, and sometimes intimidating. Engage Olympia gives you the opportunity to have your say on issues that are important to you, at a time and place of your choice.
- It is a quick, safe and convenient way to have your say on a range of issues and topics.
- It is a great way to keep up to date and contribute your views on issues affecting your community.
- You can see what other community members think about an issue or topic, respond with your own views and engage in a discussion.
- You don't have to attend community meetings at a set place and time, you can contribute at a time and place that suits you.
- It allows for a range of different people, with different views to discuss matters that impact the community.
Why do I need to register to this site to make a comment?
While registration is not required to access Engage Olympia, it is necessary for many of the more interactive engagement opportunities. We ask you to register to the website for a few reasons.
- It helps ensure that a broader set of perspectives have an opportunity to be represented by attributing feedback and frequency of feedback to individuals.
- It promotes accountability and encourages people to provide more thoughtful responses because feedback can be attributed to them.
- It also means that we can let you know any news if something major changes about the project.
Can I use this site anonymously?
Yes, you can use this website anonymously. Even when you register and post comments, your anonymity is protected because you are identified by your chosen screen name.
What happens to my feedback/comments?
All comments, ideas and suggestions are collated and used by the relevant project teams to inform the development of strategies, programs and activities, or to gain an insight into community views and opinions.
Often, feedback provided online is used in conjunction with other face-to-face opportunities such as public meetings and open houses.
All feedback provided will be considered; however, this does not mean that every suggestion will affect the project or be adopted as proposed.
Note: All comments you make through this website will become public records for anyone to read.
Is my privacy protected?
Yes! Your privacy is absolutely protected and the City will only use your email to contact you with updates and to invite you to participate in projects.
Your email address will not be distributed to any third party or used for any other purpose. For more information, see the platform Privacy Policy.
Who can I contact about Engage Olympia?
Engage Olympia is coordinated by City of Olympia's Communication Services staff.
If you have any questions about content or the engagement process, please email EngageOly@ci.olympia.wa.us.
If you have a question regarding a specific project, please contact the relevant project manager. Their contact details can be found in the "Who's listening" section for each project.
How are discussion forums moderated?
All public comments within discussion forums, guest books and questions and answers are moderated 24 hours a day seven days a week, for inappropriate language, comments that disrespect other participants and for comments that are off topic.
All moderation is carried out by Bang the Table and all moderation is independent to the City of Olympia. The moderators do not edit or alter any comments and will only remove comments deemed to be significantly off topic, offensive or malicious, in which case they are removed from the site immediately and the person who posted the comment is advised by email. See the moderation policy for more details.