City Council Agenda and Packet 2018 08 14 SP

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SUBJECT: DISCUSSION/DIRECTION — COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY DATE: AUGUST 14, 2018 PAGE 3 OF 7 • Develop proactive communication in which the City has the opportunity to relay information rather than relying on others to interpret the City's actions. • Establish strong and consistent messages that reinforce and reflect the City's goals as established by the City Council and staff. • Utilize a variety of means to communicate with the maximum number of individuals in the community. • Establish and maintain proactive media relations to keep the community connected. • Explore innovative methods of communication that incorporate new technology. • Ensure that materials include a diverse representation of the community. To meet these goals, staff utilizes a variety of communication tools. The most commonly used channels include: • City Website — The website contains information on news items, meetings, special events, departments, programs and job opportunities. It also allows visitors to sign up for enotifications for various categories (i.e. General News, City Council). • Community Update Newsletter — The newsletter is mailed to residents quarterly and posted on the City's website. It contains information on news items, meetings, special events and programs. There is also an electronic version of the newsletter that residents can subscribe to. • Utility Bill Inserts — Inserts are mailed/emailed to residents monthly with their water bill. It highlights information related City programs and/or events. • Government Access Channel — The City broadcasts a variety of live meetings through Channel 8, including: City Council, Planning Commission and Historic Preservation Commission meetings and other programming. Staff also streams this content on the City's website and YouTube Channel. • Social Media — Staff posts to Facebook (City of Louisville, Coal Creek Golf Course, Fans of Louisville Open Space, Public Library, Recreation/Senior Center, Youth Advisory Board, Nite at the Rec, Police Department), Twitter (City of Louisville, Planning) and Instagram (Planning) pages. Staff uses HootSuite to post to multiple pages at the same time. The City's Facebook page has 4,150 followers. The City's Twitter page launched in January 2018 and has 45 followers. • Engage Louisville — Staff posts project information on this online engagement platform and solicits input from the community through a variety of tools. Engage Louisville launched in spring 2017 and there are currently 139 registered users. Examples of projects include: 2018 Labor Day Parade Theme with 558 visitors and 92 participants; Museum Conceptual Plan page with 542 visitors and 16 participants; and North Drainage Underpass Design with 240 visitors and 21 participants. Staff is currently exploring incentives and/or using tools that do not require registration to increase participation. CITY COUNCIL COMMUNICATION 5