HomeMy WebLinkAboutSS05 - Public Information Function EstablishmentITEM s
TO: Members of the Newport Beach City Council
FROM:
SUBJECT:
ACTION:
EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY:
Homer L. Bludau, City Manager
Establishment of a Public Information Function
Direct the City Manager to return to the City Council with a Budget
Amendment to fund a Public Information function within the City Manager's
Office.
This Agenda Item asks the City Council for its approval of a Division of Public
Information within the City Manager's office. As planned, Public Information
shall focus upon four specific efforts:
• Dissemination of quality, readable public information to residents,
businesses, and visitors;
• Press coordination;
• Liaison with the city's community and homeowner associations; and
• Investigating and responding to resident complaints, inquiries, and issues.
Public Information shall consist of a Public Information Officer (PIO) and
contracted graphic assistance as needed. The estimated budget for this function,
including potential offsets, is $125,650 per year. If approved by the City Council,
the City Manager will return to the Council with a Budget Amendment reflecting
the addition of this function for approximately five months of FY 1999 -2000.
BACKGROUND: At the Council's September 18, 1999 retreat, Council members discussed ways to
improve the City's communication with its residents, businesses, and visitors.
The Council generally agreed that the City should consider establishing a specific
position dedicated to communication and information.
At the same time, the City Manager had directed his management team to
research communication in other cities and ways that Newport Beach could
improve its information distribution. Generally, both City Staff and the City
Council were concerned about:
• Providing timely and accurate information about City actions and activities
to our residents;
• Providing a readable and interesting newsletter or similar information
vehicle to residents and businesses;
• Establishing a clear and consistent visual image for all City publications;
Newport Beach City Council
Page 2
BACKGROUND: • Ensuring that all of the City s information sources -from water bill inserts
(cont'd) to newsletters to the City's website -are useful, updated, linked, and
reflect the "first class" image of Newport Beach.
After examining other cities' community relations efforts and talking about what
would succeed for Newport Beach, the City Manager has approved the Public
Information function that is outlined in Attachment A. Attachment A suggests a
Division of Public Information within the City Manager's office. The Division's
role includes four key duties:
• Dissemination of quality, readable public information;
• Press coordination;
• Liaison with the city's community and homeowner associations; and
• Investigating and responding to resident complaints, inquiries, and issues.
As a part of "disseminating quality, readable public information," we propose
consolidating several of the City's disparate publications (water bill stuffers, Fire
And Marine's HouseCall, the Library's Live at the Library, the City's not quite
quarterly newsletter, and more) into a quality, monthly publication.
Consolidating these mailings into a monthly newsletter should save a portion of
the costs of the separate publications.
Net annual funding for this Division is proposed as follows:
Staffing (Salaries and Benefits)
Public Information Officer (PIO)
75,00
Total Personnel Expense
$ 75,000
Publications
Graphic design assistance
$ 35,000
Newsletter design, publication, and distribution
96,000
Other collateral materials (Annual Report, more)
35,000
Total Publications Expense (net)
$166,000
Current Publications Expense - Amounts Saved
Citywide Quarterly Newsletter $ (32,000)
HouseCall (25,000)
Live at the Library (12,500)
Other Mailings (3,000)
Estimated Savings from Consolidation of Publications $ (72,500)
Net Annual Cost of Community Relations Division S 168500
Net start up costs anticipated in FY 1999 -00 (assuming that the staff would be
hired by February 2000) are as follows:
Salaries and Benefits (5 months)
Computers, software, office equipment
Publications
Four Monthly Newsletters + some collateral materials
Less amounts already budgeted for publications
Net Start-Up Costs (FY 1999 -2000)
ATTACHMENT: Attachment A - Description of Community Relations Function
$ 34,000
60,000
52,500
(57,000)
S, 89500
Attachment A
Public Information Division
The Public Information Division shall be established within the City Manager's office as
follows:
MISSION: To develop, improve, and maintain innovative methods that will
communicate accurate, timely, and helpful information to and from the City and its
community associations, media representatives, residents, businesses, and visitors.
ORGANIZATION: The Public Information Division shall be organized as follows:
CITY MANAGER
1 DEPUTY CITY MANAGER I
PUBLIC INFORMATION
OFFICER
KEY DUTIES: The Public Information Division shall perform the following essential
duties:
I. DISSEMINATE QUALITY, READABLE PUBLIC INFORMATION
• Design and improve consistent visual image for all City publications
• Write, produce and distribute monthly City Newsletter
• Establish and enact comprehensive pro - active media strategy, including:
— Regular weekly columns in local print media
— Regular communication with beat reporters and editors
— Regular press releases on important city activities
— Routine placement of feature stories with glossy prints
• Improve and coordinate City Website, including:
— Standardization of "look' between department pages
— Regular updates
— Proper use of links to Home Page, other relevant sites
• Improve and coordinate all in -house publications, including:
— water bill inserts
— hand -outs and brochures from departments
— resident - friendly documents that help explain City Hall
— City's Annual Report to Residents
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I. DISSEMINATE QUALITY, READABLE PUBLIC INFORMATION (cont'd)
• Establish and follow regular evaluation process of PI function that involves Council Members,
department heads, media contacts, and residents.
• Modify and improve PI function based on feedback as appropriate.
II. PRESS COORDINATION
• Act as distribution hub for incoming City press inquiries, including:
Route calls to appropriate respondent - Mayor, Council Members, City Manager, and /or
Department Head
— Provide maximum information to respondent - reporter's deadline, story, phone number.
Serve as spokesperson when appropriate.
III. COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION LIAISON
• Establish and maintain aggressive contact with City's community and homeowners' associations,
including:
Knowledge of all HOA /COA presidents, management companies, phone numbers, fax
numbers, & e -mail addresses.
Knowledge of all HOA /COA meeting times and locations.
Development of a communication "log" with HOAs /COAs that shows City contact with each.
Coordinate Master HOA /COA Calendar
Assigning regular attendance to HOA /COA meetings by Council Members, City Manager,
and /or key department heads.
Summarize community concerns to City Manager upon return from HOA /COA meetings.
Attend HOA /COA meetings as needed.
IV. RESPONSE TO RESIDENT INQUIRIES
• Maintain a log of resident and business inquiries.
• Investigate and respond to inquiries by residents, businesses, and others relating to City operations
or activities in as timely a manner as possible.
• Summarize results of resident and business contacts for City Council members and City Manager.
PERSONNEL: The Division of Community Relations shall include the following
position:
1. Public Information Officer ($55- 6sfteaz). Ideal candidate shall have three years experience in
providing public and /or community relations to a broad spectrum of customers. Public sector
experience not essential, but candidate must have keen awareness of role of the municipality in
service provision and policy - making. Candidate shall have at least a Bachelor's Degree in
communications, management, or related field.
Essential skills include:
• Ability to write concisely and clearly.
• Professional demeanor, including familiarity and comfort with public speaking
• Ability to understand complex information and to restate it in laypersons' terms
• Ability to gather accurate information quickly using limited resources
• Ability to ID case - appropriate spokespersons within the City and provide support thereto.
• Ability to develop "key messages" associated with various City endeavors.
• Ability to dispassionately evaluate the effectiveness of one's work and work product on a
routine basis.
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Essential job duties include:
• Writing, producing, and distributing City's monthly newsletter.
• Developing consistent visual image for City publications.
• Regular contact with Council Members, City Manager, and department heads.
• Regular contact with local media representatives
• Regular contact with local community and homeowners' associations
• Regular tracking and response of all resident and business inquiries to City Hall and /or City
Council Members.
• Development and oversight of all City publications and all non - public safety press releases.
• Active liaison with public safety PIOs.
• Coordination of all material and design of City's website.
• Advise City officials on media relations and /or specific issues when so requested.
• Supervise contracted graphic artist and coordinate with other City graphic arts staff as
appropriate.
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11/5199
Paul R. Gerst, PE, DEE
Post Office Box 100
Balboa Island, California 92662 -0100
Telephone and Facsimile 949/752 -4999
Residence Telephone 949/759 -5081
COMMENTS ON THE CRITERIA FOR A SUCCESSFUL OMBUDSMAN PROGRAM
1) The Ombudsman needs to have only two loyalties: a) to the City Council and
b) to the residential community. A staff member assigned through a multi -
tiered staff reporting system does not have independence of action.
2) The Ombudsman needs to be sufficiently skilled to assure being able to
understand the potential for residential impacts and be able to assess the need
for outside assistance.
3) Funding for this activity needs to consider out - sourcing for researching the
extent of residential impacts. Most proposals before the Council have
benefitted from lavish pre- submission research complementary to the proposal.
The Ombudsman needs the ability to "catch up" in behalf of the residents.
4) All too often proposals with far - reaching residential impacts appear on the
Council agenda with only a few days public notice; far too short a time for any
meaningful commentary even by an Ombudsman. There needs to be an "early
alert" in place so that residential responses have at least as long a lead as have
other staff departments.
5) A feedback system needs to be established that will assure that: a) the City
Council will have an adequate period of study between receiving the
Ombudsman's input from the residential community and a Council action, and
b) that the Ombudsman has sufficient time to use available resources to
analyze the proposal from the perspective of residential impacts, relay those
findings to the impacted residents, and receive feedback from the residents for
the Council's information.
6) Ombudsman programs work extremely well where they are instituted with the
intent of assuring that resources exist for knowledgeable feedback directly to
a governing body. A most successful ombudsman program is the California
Public Utility Commission's Department of Rate Payer Advocacy. Newport
Beach would be well served to follow that successful precedent.
Yours truly,
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