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HomeMy WebLinkAbout8B- PL Communication Efforts CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT 16200 Eagle Creek Avenue S.E. Prior Lake, MN 55372-1714 MEETING DATE: March 15,2004 AGENDA #: 88 PREPARED BY: Frank Boyles, City Manager AGENDA ITEM: 2004 PRIOR LAKE COMMUNICIATIONS EFFORTS (Communications Coordinator Nathan Oster) PRESENTATION: Recognizing the that we live in an information age, and how important it is to effectively communicate City information on an on-going basis, the Long-Range Planning Committee and the City Council in February added communications as one of the Vision Elements of the Strategic Plan necessary to achieve our 2020 Vision. Nathan Oster assumed the position of Communications Coordinator for the City of Prior Lake on October 6, 2003. Since that date, Nathan has made dramatic improvements to the City's existing communications tools. He would like to summarize some of these efforts and their impacts for the City Council. Nathan will review with the Council the following areas of change: ~ Cable Channel 15 - More aggressive programming and promotion. ~ Wave/enath - Additional and more timely issues, revised formatting. o Instant New - Electronic documents, including City Current, Downtown Dispatch, Public Improvement Program News, and press releases. ~ Web Site - modifications, additional data and usage figures. After listening to Nathan's presentation, I believe that the Council and public will agree that significant improvements have been achieved in a short time. www.cityofpriorlake.com 1:\COUNCIL\AGNRPTS\2004\COMMIpI}J.~T~<191230 / Fax 952.447.4245 COMMUNICATIONS OVERVIEW Monday, March 15 By Nathan Oster Communications Coordinator IMPORTANCE OF GOOD COMMUNICATION There's no overemphasizing the value of good communication in the formation of partnerships with our residents. Without it, the message is lost. To your credit, you, as a City Council, have recognized the importance of communications. Among the many positives that emerged last fall from the update of the 2020 Vision and Strategic Plan was the creation of a ninth Vision Element, focusing on Communication. Tonight, I will provide you with an overview of city communications, looking at the progress that has been made to date and the direction we have set for 2004 and beyond. At this time, we communicate with our residents through three primary vehicles that we produce - via our Website at www.citvoforiorlake.com. via cable television/ programming we produce for Channel 15 like Inside City Hall and City Council Wrapup, and via print and e-mail through publications like the Wavelength, Downtown Dispatch and City Current. WEBSITE 2003 was a year marked by significant improvements to our Website, www.citvoforiorlake.com. The initial wave of improvements was rolled out approximately 1 year ago; more upgrades have occurred over the last several months in an attempt to make the site an even greater resource for our residents. We continue to add features and information to the site. Since last fall, these things have been added or changed: 1) A "Latest News" header alongside the "Current Announcements" header, providing more entry points for web surfers visiting our site. 2) Additional forms of use to people wishing to build, including building permits, plumbing permits, sewer and water permits, etc. 3) Many, many maps offering information about land uses, the annexation area, parks and trails and recent developments, as well as layouts of Ryan Park and the Ponds complexes. 4) An Organizational Chart. S) Downtown sketches. 6) Channel 15 programming guide. The Document Center, accessible from the homepage, also contains a treasure chest of city information from the past decade. Simply by logging in with the user name and ',-' ...~..,"._.~.... . ".m_._'__ ~.".,. ""'_~_...,'_m'_'.~_"""_;""" ,,~~~'"' .'_~'_ _"_~M--""'~__""^,~'__"_'___~__~___.,..,~..____",.____~,~.~____~_._,......._"_'''''M'_'~~~_'''__._'''''''" password already provided, residents can gain access to City Council and Planning , Commission agenda packets which contain the agendas, minutes and staff reports referenced by members of the councilor commission on meeting nights. The Document Center also contains City Council and Planning Commission resolutions, the complete Zoning Ordinance and City Code, all building permit and zoning handouts and applications, historical photos and information, and specific documents relating to the McComb Market Study and the orderly annexation agreement. Some property records can also be found on the site. In time, it is our hope that every document relating to each property will be available online. In terms of usage, we've noticed three themes: 1) people are using our site more and more, with the first 2112 months of this year being especially strong; 2) people are particularly interested in things like maps, forms and council news; and 3) people want to see additional features added to the website. Here are all the numbers from the past 12 months. Keep in mind that the counter registers a visit each time a web surfer visits the site, regardless of the amount of time spent on the site. Hits represent the number of times graphics on each page are opened. MONTH VISITORS VISITORS/DAY HITS April 1,590 122 14,100 May 6,990 241 92,300 June 6,590 253 100,000 July 9,290 309 124,000 August 8,510 274 112,000 September 7,100 244 94,600 October 7,310 261 100,000 November 7,050 251 98,400 December 5,540 221 83,600 January 8,010 276 113,000 February 8,230 284 128,000 Highlights: February was the third-best month ever for the site, as we averaged 284 visits per day. Totals for the month: 128,000 hits, 8,230 visitors - compared to April of 2003 when we had 14,100 hits, 1,590 visitors. So as you can see, site usage continues to grow. Even more encouraging news...through the first seven days in March, site averaging 341 visitors per day, putting us on pace to set a new monthly record. 2004 goals: To continue to make the site more user-friendly by adding more useful information such as maps, forms, and handouts. Explore possibility of adding interactive forms. Soliciting community input on site and what could be added. Develop calendar of upcoming city events such as meetings, informational open houses, etc. User input on the type of things that should be added to the site is always welcome. You can do so by calling (952) 447-9804 or emailingnoster(Ci)citvoforiorlake.com. Cable TV We've increased the level of programming and frequency of playback on Channel 15, the city government channel on the Mediacom system. While it is impossible to gauge how many people watch our local programming, we do know from the feedback we have received that it is watched and enjoyed by a great many local residents. Mediacom reaches over half of the households it passes in Prior Lake. Bill Jensen, regional vice president for Mediacom, recently estimated the cable company's penetration at 52 percent, saying that 3,942 of the 7,500 homes and apartment units the company passes subscribe to some level of cable from Mediacom. So we know 3,942 households have access to our programming. So what's new in programming? Last year, we introduced City Council Wrapup, a 30- to 45-minute show intended to provide insight into the decisions of the City Council. Taped within days of the council meeting, these shows are usually on the air before the week of the meeting is over. So if you want a better idea of some of the rationale for decisions or want a fast version of the meeting, watch the Wrapup. We have also stepped up our efforts to provide new and fresh information in the Inside City Hall format. The last few months have featured in-depth discussions with reps of the school district, the county, the Prior Lake Players, Mediacom, and the Prior Lake/Spring Lake Watershed District, to name just a few. For 2004, the primary goal in communications is to maintain that pace, debuting at the very least one new show per week, be it an Inside City Hall or City Council Wrapup. To this point in the year, we've been successful. In the future, we also hope to rollout new programming. For example, we'd like to take the camera out in the field and show you the attractions of Prior Lake and how city services are delivered. Also in the planning stages are "Eye on 2020," an out-and-about program that will seek to explain how a decision today fits within the 2020 Vision, and "15News" a newscast intended to communicate valuable info and video footage of city projects, programs and activities. We also want to continue to add to the variety of the channel by altering schedule often. Print/E-mail The Wavelength continues to be our most popular and effective way of communicating with our residents. In 2004, we will be producing six editions, one every other month. While that is one fewer than last year, this year's editions will be eight pages in length, rather than the six-page issues that were put out in 2004. Some new features have been added to the Wavelength, including Business Buzz and Eye on 2020. Plus, there's a greater emphasis on news of the city and its potential impact on city residents, information about upcoming events and projects, and parks and recreation activities. ",.0"0 __.~.~,...._...____,".._~~..,.."_,,.,.,,+>......-...~....--...,.~.~..~,~__~_"___.._.,~.............__~_,."~..",.,~...+-____~_.~.~~.._._.. Newsletters are also being produced for the big projects on tap in 2004. Two editions of the Downtown Dispatch have already been circulated to downtown property owners. More will follow in the months ahead. The same applies for the other major projects planned in 2004 - completion of the second and third phases of the ring road and the largest single recon project in the history of the city. Newsletters targeting these areas and providing the type of information the public demands will be produced. Information is also being provided to community residents electronically. People who sign up for this free service get e-mails delivered straight to their desktops. Among the items that are distributed this way are: · City Current, a newsletter published immediately after every City Council meeting. In it, the decisions made by the City Council are summarized in a style similar to what one would expect to find in a newspaper. · Electronic version of the Wavelength, delivered day before issue hits the streets as a bonus for City Current subscribers. · Channel 15 programming information and schedule, providing details about the shows and when they will be airing during the coming week. · Press releases for the City of Prior Lake and the Scott County Association of Leadership and Efficiency, of which Prior Lake is a member. · Announcements about new programs, additions to web site, etc. · Public improvement project announcements and updates. The list has grown significantly in recent months. It now numbers in the hundreds. We'd like it to be in the thousands. To sign up, email meatnoster(Ci)citvoforiorlake.com. or call (952) 447-9804. 2004 goals include growing the list through interactions with community civic organizations. Other aoals Globally, the plan in communications is to develop a long-term plan which emphasizes consistency (where residents know what to expect and when to expect it) and a thorough approach to sharing information with the public. Another goal for 2004 is to continue to work with the Prior Lake American and other local media through the submission of press releases and announcements. The Prior Lake American is the No.1 place city residents turn for their information. A high priority will be placed on providing relevant information to the newspaper and maintaining our strong working relationship with the PLA. "-.....-_.._..---.....~._~--~.......-...-'""--_._"""-~.~.~-- Bottom Line The "glue" that ties all of our communications efforts together is the 2020 Vision and Strategic Plan. Simply put, it tells us all - council, staff and citizenry - where we are going as a community. Our job is to help you understand where we are on the map to our future, and how each step fits in. Since we are all members of the same team, we are best served when everyone shares the sam~ knowledge and excitement about Prior Lake so our community continues to be ... a wonderful place to call home.