HomeMy Public PortalAboutRES-CC-2018-39CITY OF MOAB RESOLUTION NO.39-2018
A RESOLUTION ENDORSING THE CITY OF MOAB'S COMMUNICATION
PLAN AND POLICIES
WHEREAS, Moab's municipal government desires to engage the public in effective
and efficient methods of communication; and
WHEREAS, the City of Moab 2017-2018 Administrative Work Plan contains the
following: "6.11 Create a Communications Plan. The Plan will address internal and
external engagement and standards for communication"; .and
WHEREAS, the City's Communications and Engagement Manager has drafted a five-
year communications plan and communications policies;
THEREFORE, be it resolved that with the approval of this Resolution, the Moab City
Council endorses the City of Moab Communications Plan 2018-2023 and the City of
Moab Communications Policies.
SIGNED:
Emily S. Niehaus, Mayor Danielle Guerrero, Deputy Recorder
COMMUNICATIONS
and
Resident ENGAGEMENT ,\;,
CITY OF
MOAB
UTAH
217 East Center Street
Moab, Utah
435-259-5121
Introduction
The City of Moab embraces the importance of resident involvement and engagement as well as the
knowledge and resources our residents contribute to our community. Clear understanding of com-
munity concerns, perceptions and points of view is crucial to helping the City make critical decisions
that affect the everyday lives of our residents.
The City must be responsive to the needs of our residents and identify, create and budget resourc-
es to effectively engage community members so that they are encouraged to become active partici-
pants in the overall decision -making process whenever possible.
Public engagement and communication are integral to the overall health and well-being of the
Moab community. The City of Moab's communications and engagement plan is a fluid document that
identifies and aligns the City's ongoing public information activities with the goals, objectives, and
key messages of government, as determined by Moab's elected officials, the City Manager and staff.
The plan will serve as a guide for communication and engagement policy for all City staff and elected
officials.
Inform
Consult Involve Collaborate Empower
Its. *lift 44,40 Via
Inform Involve Empower
Low level of Mid level of High level of
public engagement public engagement public engagement
Source: International Association for Public Participation
Effective communication benefits our residents and helps the City meet
goals in many ways:
• Encourages knowledgeable participation. Residents can better express their needs and work in
cooperation with the City when they know the facts about City plans and actions. Consistent, clear
communication from the City can help launch a civil, community -wide conversation and encourage
community involvement.
• Helps boost community satisfaction. Better understanding about City services, projects and plans
leads to better understanding of how City revenues are used and helps improve residents' confidence
in government.
• Encourages growth, attracts good employees, and improves government service.
Ongoing communication with our residents is a sound, important investment in Moab's future
and should be considered among the City's primary functions. City of Moab staff and elected officials
should take the lead in talking with our residents and telling the City's story — accurately, comprehen-
sively, and with honesty and candor.
City of Moab Communications and Engagement Mission:
• To communicate information to Moab's residents quickly, clearly, openly and proactively.
• To inspire Moab's residents to become more civically involved and engaged with City government
and to be our leaders in the future.
• To tell the story of the City of Moab.
Principles for Community Engagement
• Transparent and Timely— Guarantees government transparency for all audiences and com-
municates information as soon as we have it.
• Accessible — Ensures information is easy to find and understand — at City Hall as well as
through online and other resources.
• Responsive — Places residents' needs first and adapts quickly to change.
• Accountable — Creates clear guidelines that help residents understand their role in civic partic-
ipation, the level of resident engagement and provides follow-up regarding outcomes.
• Early Involvement — Communicates with residents as early as possible regarding projects,
plans, etc. so residents have the opportunity to get the facts directly from the City source and to ac-
tively participate in the public process.
• Diverse and Inclusive — Develops outreach strategies to involve residents from all the diverse
walks of life that make Moab the community it is and provide all residents with the opportunity to
participate, resulting in a balanced perspective of overall community needs and goals.
• Reciprocal Respect — Engages with residents in ways that are fair, respectful and help foster
understanding among wide-ranging values, ideas and interests.
• Evaluate and Improve — Evaluates and monitors the various civic engagement activities to
ensure effectiveness.
External Communications - Community and Media
Strategies and Actions
1. Inform, educate and engage City residents about City services, projects, responsibilities and
results. These efforts must always be timely, transparent and straightforward.
• The Communications and Engagement Manager often serves as the first point of contact for city
residents who have questions, issues or concerns, and acts as public information officer for the City.
• Proactively use social media, website and news releases to push out information about city work
projects, meetings, events and other news. At least three posts per week on Facebook and Twitter, and
more when needed. Also, utilize the Moab City YouTube channel and post educational, engaging and
informative video content regarding City government, history and activities.
• Develop a printed quarterly or biannual community newsletter to update all residents/businesses
about important City issues.
2. Improve resident outreach and engagement efforts and build bridges that foster
trust, understanding, civil participation and respect.
• Schedule Town Hall -style meetings to invite resident input about specific issues, plans and
projects. These meetings must include participation by Moab City Council members, the Mayor and
appropriate City staff.
• Plan "City Walk" events in neighborhoods, downtown, etc., to bring residents and City officials
together on the ground to discuss projects that will impact those areas. These meetings must include
participation by Moab City Council members, the Mayor and appropriate City staff.
• Produce formal "State of the City" annual report/video and make available to the public.
• Conduct focus groups and hold roundtable discussions with key residents and business owners to
find out what information residents want to know and what they feel is lacking regarding City com-
munications efforts. Also periodically use online and/or by -mail surveys to seek input from residents.
Implications
How does the information
help us decide what to
doe
Findings
What story does the
information tell us? How
does it change what we knew
before?
Engagement method
What's the best
process to get the
information? (e.g.
survey, core m u pity
meeting, workshop,
social media etc.)
The issue
What is the issue
we want to
address? (What is
the decision to be
made?)
1
Information/input
needed
What information & input
do we want from the
community? (focus
questions)
Source: ACELG.org.au
3. Create programs to foster future leaders
• Develop and create an 8- to io-week "Residents Academy" during which resident participants
have the opportunity to learn from all the City departments about how they operate and how City gov-
ernment works.
" D e v e l o p a n d c r e a t e a n 8 - t o i o - w e e k " Y o u t h G o v e r n m e n t A c a d e m y " f o r n i n t h t h r o u g h 1 2 t h g r a d e
s t u d e n t s a i m e d a t h e l p i n g l o c a l h i g h s c h o o l s t u d e n t s l e a r n a b o u t m u n i c i p a l p r o g r a m s , s e r v i c e s a n d
g o v e r n m e n t o p e r a t i o n s a n d t o i n s p i r e t h e m t o b e c o m e t h e l e a d e r s o f t h e f u t u r e .
4 . P r o v i d e t i m e l y , a c c u r a t e i n f o r m a t i o n t o t h e m e d i a r e g a r d i n g c i t y p r o j e c t s , l o n g - t e r m p l a n -
n i n g , e m e r g e n c y i n c i d e n t s a n d o t h e r m a t t e r s .
" B e r e s p o n s i v e , t i m e l y a n d a c c u r a t e r e g a r d i n g m e d i a i n q u i r i e s .
" P r o a c t i v e l y p r o v i d e C i t y i n f o r m a t i o n f o r m e d i a s t o r i e s , a n d s e e k m e d i a c o v e r a g e f o r s p e c i a l
e v e n t s , p r o j e c t s a n d p r o g r a m s .
" C o m m u n i c a t i o n s a n d E n g a g e m e n t M a n a g e r i s f i r s t p o i n t o f c o n t a c t f o r a l l m e d i a i n q u i r i e s , a n d
a c t s a s t h e p u b l i c i n f o r m a t i o n o f f i c e r f o r t h e C i t y .
" C o o r d i n a t e w i t h C i t y M a n a g e r , d e p a r t m e n t h e a d s a n d o t h e r C i t y o f f i c i a l s t o e n s u r e d i s s e m i n a t i o n
o f c o n s i s t e n t , r e l i a b l e a n d a c c u r a t e i n f o r m a t i o n t o m e d i a a n d q u i c k l y p r o v i d e a n s w e r s t o q u e s t i o n s
p o s e d b y j o u r n a l i s t s f o r n e w s s t o r i e s a b o u t t h e C i t y .
" M a i n t a i n a l o c a l a n d r e g i o n - w i d e m e d i a c o n t a c t l i s t t o e n a b l e f a s t d i s s e m i n a t i o n o f i n f o r m a t i o n
a s n e e d e d .
" E n g a g e i n d i r e c t c o m m u n i c a t i o n b y p h o n e , i n p e r s o n , v i a e m a i l , e t c . t o p r o v i d e c l e a r a n d a c c u r a t e
i n f o r m a t i o n t o m e d i a o u t l e t s , d i s c u s s s t o r i e s a n d s c h e d u l e m e d i a i n t e r v i e w s a s n e e d e d w i t h c i t y o f f i -
c i a l s .
I n t e r n a l C o m m u n i c a t i o n s - C i t y S t a f f a n d D e p a r t m e n t s
S t r a t e g i e s a n d A c t i o n s
1 . C o n d u c t r e g u l a r i n t e r n a l c o m m u n i c a t i o n s a u d i t s t o d e t e r m i n e s t a f f a n d d e p a r t m e n t a l
n e e d s a n d g o a l s f o r c o m m u n i c a t i o n s .
" D o c u m e n t w h a t s t a f f m e m b e r s a r e d o i n g i n t h e w a y o f c o m m u n i c a t i o n s , b o t h i n t e r n a l l y a n d w i t h
t h e p u b l i c .
" D o c u m e n t w h a t t h e c u r r e n t c o m m u n i c a t i o n s e f f o r t s a r e i n t e n d e d t o a c h i e v e a n d d e t e r m i n e h o w
e f f e c t i v e t h o s e e f f o r t s h a v e b e e n .
2 . H e l p d e p a r t m e n t s s e t g o a l s a n d p r o v i d e t o o l s f o r c o m m u n i c a t i n g w i t h t h e p u b l i c .
" B r a i n s t o r m w i t h C i t y s t a f f r e g a r d i n g c o m m u n i c a t i o n s n e e d s a n d d e s i r e s .
" I n t e r v i e w C i t y M a n a g e r , M a y o r a n d C i t y C o u n c i l m e m b e r s t o d e t e r m i n e t h e i r g o a l s a n d w i s h e s
f o r c o m m u n i c a t i o n s f r o m d e p a r t m e n t s .
" H e l p d e p a r t m e n t s s e t o v e r a l l g o a l s f o r c o m m u n i c a t i o n s o b j e c t i v e s .
" D e v e l o p a m o n t h l y o r b i - m o n t h l y ( e v e r y t w o m o n t h s ) n e w s l e t t e r t o u p d a t e C i t y s t a f f a b o u t
c h a n g e s , p r o g r e s s , p r o j e c t s a n d a c t i v i t i e s i n t h e C i t y . E a c h n e w s l e t t e r w i l l i n c l u d e a f e a t u r e o n a C i t y
s t a f f m e m b e r a n d t h a t f e a t u r e w i l l a l s o b e p o s t e d t o C i t y s o c i a l m e d i a .
g. Create annual calendar for upcoming City projects, plans, etc.
• Meet with department heads and City Manager at least twice annually to map out list of projects
projected to begin in the upcoming and current calendar year.
• Develop working calendar to identify potential start dates for those projects. (This will be an on-
going and fluid list as project dates sometimes change.)
• Create schedule for news releases, announcements and community engagement events for vari-
ous projects that will include resident input.
4. Develop cohesive, standardized branding for City
• Create templates for external city communications for use by all departments that send out infor-
mation to the public. Provide training on how to use those templates as needed.
• Citywide communications policy is included in this plan — see Appendix A.
Digital Communications
Redesign and Re -brand the City of Moab Website
The City's website design will be revitalized as part of a new effort to re -brand the City of Moab.
The re -branding of the website includes new navigation, fresh content and a modern design to im-
prove usability for City residents, visitors and Moab City staff.
During the redesign, a policy and process will be developed regarding the use of outside website
hosting platforms for a variety of City departments that have already created their own separate web -
sites.
Closely monitor website analytics and update information as needed.
Film and Promote Brief Public Service Announcements
Create public service announcement for use on the City's website and social media. City of Moab
Public Service Announcements will be educational and will feature relevant topics that are helpful to
residents.
Social Media Presence
• Post announcements, notices, activities and a wide variety of other information at least three to
four times per week on Facebook and Twitter.
• Create informational content, including PSAs, for City of Moab's YouTube channel and post at
least bi-weekly.
Social Media Policy
The City Communications and Engagement Manager will create a formal citywide social media
policy to be followed by all departments. The Police Department and a few other departments have
created their own Facebook pages. The Communications Manager will work with those departments
to ensure all posts follow established City social media policy.
Conduct Online Community Engagement Campaigns
City Communications will develop proposals for regular online and social media campaigns de-
signed to increase engagement with local residents through the website and social media sites. These
could include:
• Periodically posting historic photos of the City to encourage local residents to share their memo-
ries.
• Periodically posting images or video of goings-on throughout the city or of city employees at
work doing various projects.
• Posting "Fast Facts" on a weekly basis to provide residents with educational (and sometimes fun)
information about various City facilities, projects, etc.
Benchmarks: Tracking for Success
• Develop process for tracking success of all elements of the City of Moab Communications Plan.
• Once a baseline for these activities is established, analyze and measure impacts of each element
and track annual results and input for ongoing success.