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RES 2003-54 COMMUNICATIONS POLICYRESOLUTION NO. 2003-54 A RESOLUTION of the City of Bainbridge Island, Washington, relating to the adoption of Draft Communications Policy Implementation Strategies to foster effective communication and coordination within the City organization. WHEREAS, the City Council wishes to develop policy for handling incoming and outgoing information, as stated in the City of Bainbridge Island's Goals and Objectives, 2003, Goal: Communications, A; and WHEREAS, the City Council wishes to establish policy for clear, consistent and accurate information to promote understanding of issues and to further bust and accountability within the City organization and the community as a whole; NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, WASHINGTON, DOES RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. All information coming from City committees, commissions and councils that relates to its work projects, policies, or individual members, shall be created, handled and transmitted as outlined in the attached Draft Communications Policy Implementation Strategies. PASSED by the City Council this 10'h day of December, 2003. APPROVED by the Mayor this 12" day of December, 2003. D ENE KORDONOWY, Mayor ATTEST/AUTHENTICATE: SAN P. KASPER, City Clerk FILED WITH THE CITY CLERK: December 10, 2003 PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL: December 10, 2003 RESOLUTION NO. 2003-54 11 City of Bainbridge Island Communications Policy IWUNMTATICV STILTE= Presented to City Council November 12, 2003 jc xyq1� x A Ix Communications Goals and Policies Goal 1: Build networks for effective communication throughout all levels of government and between the City and its citizens. Policy 1: Treat colleagues, staff, and citizens equally, fairly, and with respect. Policy 2: Actively seek opportunities for increased coordination and cooperation. Goal 2: Promote understanding of city initiatives and projects. Policy 1: Ensure that communications from the City are as effective as possible. Policy 2: Ensure that city initiatives, issues, and projects include early identification and regul�— public outreach so that citizens are included, heard, and informed. Policy 3: Improve communications of changes taking place within the city in a timely and coherent manner. Policy 4: Establish and implement a public outreach program. Policy 5: Encourage citizens to express their ideas, concerns, and judgments through written suggestions or comments, presentations at public hearings, responses in surveys, comments at meetings, and service on citizen committees. 14 Goal 3: Disseminate information through a wide variety of media in order to reach as broad a spectrum of the community as possible. Policy 1: Consider innovative ways to inform, educate, and engage the community. Policy 2: Establish a communications plan that promotes frequent, open, and consistent communication. Policy 3: Information disseminated to non-oovemmenta media outlets should be released simultaneously. Goal 4: Establish, document, and communicate a standard, consistent, and understandable set of procedures for identifying information that should be communicated and methods for communicating that information. Policy 1: Use good, clear communications wL.M. carrying out any task. Policy 2: Schedule a review of the communi;a~:oas plan as part of the budget cycle to ensure that it remains aligned with the city's goy. Policy 3: Information provided by the city w be easily accessible, relevant, and timely. Policy 4: Plan for the inclusion of emerging tecAologies, updating existing hardware and software, replacing hardware, and uHng technology to meet the needs of a diversified population. APPENDIX A Communications Policy Implementation Strategies Goal 1: Build networks for effective communication throughout all levels of government and between the City and its citizens. Policy 1: Treat colleagues, staff, and citizens equally, fairly, and with respect. 1.1.1 Reinforce the core values as guidelines for internal interactions. 1.1.2 Reinstate regular internal updates about departmental activities and distribute to members of the organization_ 1.1.3 Promote staff involvement in community affairs and projects. 1.1.4 Establish regular updates to the public. 1.1.5 Assess the effectiveness of the staff recognition and incentives program. 1.1.6 Provide incentives and positive reinforcement. 1.1.7 Enact uniform customer service standards based on the core values. 1.1.8 Establish a system for communicating with specific stakeholder groups. Policy 2: Actively seek opportunities for increased coordination and cooperation. 2.1.1 Establish protocols and procedures for communication between staff, Executive, and City Council. 2.1.2 Assess how communications and processes within and between city departments may be improved. 2.1.3 Continue to support regional and inter -agency groups. 2.1.4 Continue to support participation in work-related statewide and national organizations. 2.1.5 Develop and implement written standards and'procedures for gathering information from other departments, divisions, and/or agencies. 2.1.6 Improve the agenda bill format and process to ensure that informed decisions are made. 15 16 Goal 2: Promote understanding of city initiatives and projects. Policy 1: Ensure that communications from the City are as effective as possible. 2.1.1 Provide training and reference materials as appropriate for the level of communication required for each function served. 2.1.2 Asses the most effective channel for each type of communication. For example, email is the least expensive means of broadly transmitting general information but is not suitable for discussion of controversial topics. 2.1.3 Implement and assess various means of receiving input from staff and citizens. Policy 2: Ensure that city initiatives, issues, and projects include early identification and regular public outreach so that citizens are included, heard, and informed. 2.2.1 Establish standard communications models for the public outreach portion of projects. 2.2.2 Include interdepartmental and public outeach communications as a standard component of all projects. 2.2.3 Establish a protocol for regular reporting up the chain of command on progress toward accomplishing agreed-upon deliverables and any issues that may require adjustments to due dates. 2.2.4 Provide an opportunity for public input on significant policy issues at the beginning of ordinance development. 2.2.5- Introduce new ordinances with public outreach. Policy 3: Improve communications of changes taking place within the city in a timely and coherent manner. 2.3.1 Develop a monitoring program that measures how the city's organization is operating and communicate the results back to members of the organization_ 2.3.2 Communicate messages of local relevance and concern without delay. 2.3.3 Report regularly on the city's performance against performance indicators. 2.3.4 Develop network for relaying Council's decisions to staff that includes procedures for new ordinance orientations, initiatives, and projects. Policy 4: Establish and implement a public outreach program. 2.4.1 Develop a public education program about city government. 2.4.2 Schedule organizational and legislative nevus publications forregular island -wide distribution. 2.4.3 Provide regular legislative updates. ugh written 1and judgments through " Policy 5: Encourage citizens to express their ideas, concerns, comments at suggestions or comments, presentations at public hearings, responses in surveys, meetings, and service on citizen committees. 2.5.1 Invite community participatation in city -sponsored events- 2.5.2 vents•2.52 Promote the use of the Call for Participation. Goal 3: Disseminate information through a wide variety of media in order to reach as broad a spectrum of the community as possible. Policy 1: Consider innovative ways to inform, educate, and engage the community. 3.1.1 Continue to find venues in which city council members and/or staff members can discuss issues and receive comments outside of city hall and its regular meetings. communicate so that new 3.1 .2 Investigate how other jurisdictions incan be to ues the ity s tried on a trial basis. Effective techniques should be incorporated communications plan and procedures. 3.1.3 Continue to use a variety of media, including public tele -vision, the city web site, and print publications, to reach the citizens. Policy 2: Establish a communications plan that promotes frequent, open, and consistent communication. 3?.1 Educate staff and city council on roles and processes. 3?? Establish a schedule for all meetings to provide updates on city priorities and issues and to offer an opportunity for dialog. 3.23- Establish standards for managers to explain the reasoning behind the decisions that affect staff and the way we work together. Formalize the department communications contact system within a communications manual 3.2.4 Maintain and promote the system for anonymous staff sueesstions. 3?.5 Use email to share routine information. Policy 3: Information disseminated to non-govemmenta media outlets should be released simultaneously. 3.3.1 Coordinate information to be released through the use of a multi -media board. 3.3 2 Designate an official city spokesperson. m Goal 4: Establish, document, and communicate a standard, consistent, and understandable set of procedures for identifying information that should be communicated and methods for communicating that information. Policy 1: Use good, clear communications when carrying out any task. 4.1.1 Increase face-to-face communication through leadership training. 4.1.2 Develop guidelines for when and how it is appropriate to use each communications channel. Policy 2: Schedule a review of the communications plan as part of the budget cycle to ensure that it remains aligned with the city's goals. 4.2.1 Plan and budget for project -specific communications. Policy 3: Information provided by the cityrill be easily accessible, relevant, and timely. 4.3.1 Develop and implement a standardised, but flexible, range of options for communications about specific projects. 4.3.2 Develop and implement written standards and procedures for releasing information. Policy 4: Plan for the inclusion of emerging technologies, updating existing hardware and software, replacing hardware, and using technology to meet the needs of a diversified population. 4.4.1 Continue working toward a more interactive city web site. 19 Appendix B: Department Communications Contact Persons (DCCP) Process Purpose of the Department Communications Contact Persons (DCCP) system: To coordinate information within each department and ensure consistency in how that information is shared with the city organization before being disseminated to the public. Examples of information that should be routed through the DCCP system: • Press releases. • Display advertisements. • Radio advertisements. • Items for "news and events" on the web page. • Major public meetings. • Flyers and brochures. Informational handouts. • Reports to be released to the public. • Committee formation. • Committee activities and schedules. • Newly created or amended applications and forms. • Changes in interdepartmental procedures. • Relevant information from outside agencies. • Internal job openings. Routing procedures for releasing information to the public: 1. Project lead coordinates the information to be shared with the DCCP. 2. The DCCP reviews any written information for standard contact information, grammar, and format. 3. The Communications Coordinator ensures that the information is coordinated with all other outgoing projects and information. 4. The Communications Coordinator shares the information with the Mayor, City Administrator, and City Council. 5. The DCCP disseminates the approved information through the appropriate channels to the public, other departments, and within the originating department. The Communications Coordinator oversees the system, establishes procedures, and coordinates major public events with appropriate media. The Administrative Secretary, Department of the Public Works, Planning and Community Development, Finance, and Public Safety Departments are designated as "Department Communications Contact Persons." Because the Information Technology Department and Court do not have departmental administrative secretaries, the DCCP for those departments are designated by the heads of the departments. 20 Specific functions fulfilled or overseen by the DCCP (not in priority order): 1. Edit department web pages and shared pages. 2. Administer the department email mailbox - 3. Coordinate responses to public records requests. 4. Maintain room calendars and coordinate meeting spaces. 5. Maintain the department's materials in self help. 6. Maintain and monitor use of standard city formats. 7. Maintain routine data bases (correspondence log, who's who, phone lists, etc.) 8. Coordinate interdepartmental procedures. 9. Coordinate public outreach efforts, including flyers, posters, press releases, etc. 10. Disseminate information about new committees, major projects, and other "news" to the city organization. 11. Maintenance and dissemination of New Employee Handbook- 12. andbook12. Maintain city-wide public meeting calendar. 10 City of Bainbridge Island CITY COUNCIL AGENDA BILL PROCESS INFORMATION Subject: Communications Policy Date: December 10, 2003 Agenda Item: Resolutions (2003-54) Bill No. AB 0641 Contact Person: Theresa Rice Referral(s): Community Relations Committee Reading: 1st 2nd 3rd BUDGET INFORMATION Department or Fund: Total Expenditure Required (tax included): Budgeted? yes no Is a budget amendment required? yes no POLICY INFORMATION Comprehensive Plan: Framework Goal 7 (Develop a meaningful process for citizen participation which tries to obtain participation from all segments of the Island community). Municipal Code: BIN4C 2.64.020 Goals and Objectives: 2004 Objective 4.A (Implement the coordinated citywide Communication Policy and assign a staff member the position of communications coordinator. Other: DESCRIPTION/SUMMARY Communications was one of the major issues in Sandra Davis' organizational stuc source of citizen complaints. The Communications Policy is intended to improve communications within the city (with citizens, officials and employees). RECOMMENDED ACTION Adopt Resolution No. 54, Communications Policy.