City Council Agenda and Packet 2018 08 14 SP

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L City Louisville COLORADO - SINCE 1878 CITY COUNCIL COMMUNICATION AGENDA ITEM 4 SUBJECT: DISCUSSION/DIRECTION — COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY DATE: AUGUST 14, 2018 PRESENTED BY: EMILY HOGAN, ASSISTANT TO THE CITY MANAGER SUMMARY: The objectives of the City's Public Information and Involvement Sub -Program include providing easy and timely access to all relevant information about City programs and services and establishing processes that give anyone interested opportunities to get involved and influence decision -making. To achieve these objectives, community engagement is a priority for the City. As part of the 2018 Work Plan, City Council requested that staff review its current communications practices and develop updated strategies for public engagement, including social media, technology, etc. PROPOSED STRATEGY: On June 5th, City Council directed staff to develop a strategy to improve community engagement. Based on the direction received by Council, staff proposes the following strategy: • Improve City Website — Staff can work with the City's website host, Vision, to improve use and appearance of the City website. Improvements include a new search tool, as well as a custom redesign that would restructure the site for easier use and enhance its appearance. • Increase Transparency — Through use of a reporting tool (i.e. Tableau), staff can automate data collection and increase public transparency of financial information and performance measures by sharing information online. • Discontinue Engage Louisville — Staff can discontinue use of Engage Louisville, the City's online engagement platform. The Planning Department may choose to maintain the site for planning -related purposes only (i.e. Design Guidelines & Sign Code Update, RE Zoning) as Envision Louisville, the City's previous online platform, is no longer in use. • Increase Newsletters/E-Newsletters — Staff can start publishing 6 issues of the Community Update Newsletter in 2019 (four in 2018) to create additional room for information and images. Staff can also supplement the newsletter by sending out e-newsletters, highlighting specific projects, programs and events. • Develop Mobile Application — Staff can develop a mobile application that would relay information from the City's website, raise awareness of projects, programs and events through push notifications and serve as a citizen portal for residents to submit work requests (i.e. pothole, graffiti). CITY COUNCIL COMMUNICATION 3