Public Outreach Task Force Agenda and Packet 2014 04 07

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SUBJECT: DATE: PUBLIC OUTREACH, PUBLIC NOTICE FEBRUARY 4, 2014 PAGE 3 OF 9 Treatment Division). Generally speaking, the Planning and Building Safety Department and the City Clerk are responsible for implementing the legal requirements stipulated in the Louisville Municipal Code (LMC) for Quasi - Judicial proceedings. General Information and Special Events We use much the same process for general information as we do for special events. Since for the most part we are advertising these items specifically to residents to encourage attendance or simply notify them of something, this process tends to be more about pushing information out rather than gathering feedback. That said, we need to do a better job of coordinating the information process across departments. To that end, staff will begin instituting a process with all departments where items are reviewed by the Public Relations Manager to assure specific content and information is included and to determine the best course of outreach for that item. We will attempt to standardize the look, feel, and design of notices, flyers, and handouts to garner the most attention and to better brand items so they are clearly from the City of Louisville. Coming Improvements • New web site with opt in email and text notifications • Centralized information system with City Manager's Office (CMO) acting as clearinghouse and coordinator for public information from all departments. The process will include a system of identifying projects that need public outreach, determining what outreach is appropriate for each project, and identifying what steps and on what calendar is needed for the project. Weaknesses • Newsletter frequency (3 times per year). The newsletter is consistently cited in the Citizen Survey as the place most residents get their information. Budget allows us to put that newsletter out 3 times per year so while it is well read: it is not frequent enough to be efficient. • Lack of staff time for social media presence. Social media requires someone be able to quickly review and respond to posts and questions. Current staff does not have the time to effectively do this. • The new centralized public outreach system will be dependent on each department identifying their items early in the process and working with the CMO accordingly. City Initiatives The primary items within the City Initiative category of public outreach include: 0 0 0 Some Legislative Actions (i.e. Ordinances / LMC Amendments) Utility Rate Increases Comprehensive Plan CITY COUNCIL COMMUNICATION