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10/20/2003 - City Council Communications CommitteeI. II. AGENDA COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE MEETING MONDAY OCTOBER 20, 2003 8:00 A.M. CITY ADMINISTRATOR'S OFFICE ROLL CALL REVIEW 2004 COMMUNICATION GOALS RECEIVE WEB PAGE PROGRESS REPORT 7;4-l' c - IV. DISCUSS BURNSVILLE/EAGAN COMMUNITY J� TELEVISION FIVE-YEAR FINANCIAL FRAMEWORK V. REVIEW CITY EXPECTATIONS OF EAGAND�k o y n CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU FOR.,:T,) CALENDAR 2004 OTHER BUSINESS ADJOURNMENT 3 A a�ww►, - Com---''%,� n \1 15 , cog" cam. a _- i city of eagan MEMO TO: COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE MEMBERS CITY COUNCILMEMBER CARLSON AND COUNCILMEMBER MAGUIRE FROM: CITY ADMINISTRATOR HEDGES DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATION GARRISON DATE: OCTOBER 15, 2003 SUBJECT: COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE MEETING A Communications Committee meeting is scheduled for Monday, October 20, 2003 at 8:00 a.m. in the City Administrator's office. General items to be reviewed include a review of the 2004 Communications goals, a progress report on the web page, the Burnsville/Eagan Community Television five-year financial framework, City expectations of the ECVB for 2004 and any other business of interest by the Communications City Council Standing Committee. REVIEW 2004 GOALS Attached, on pages _.� through a , is a copy of the Draft 2004 Communications Goals. Please identify any additional goals or objectives that the Committee feels should be included in the Draft 2004 Communications Goals. Also attached on pages/ 3 through A.r is a copy of the Year One Communication Accomplishments memo, prepared and previously sent to you by Director Garrison on August 1, requesting Council feedback on 2004 priorities. WEB PAGE PROGRESS REPORT 0 Director Garrison will provide an update/status on the on-going progress for development an y si iplementation of the new City Web page. Topics to be discussed include; when should the we o ry -'1 page be given a demo to the City Council, what are some of the remaining technical issues and,, �o- ?�-fmally, when the web page is presented to the community, how that should be presented and j promoted. i BURNSVILLE/EAGAN COMMUNITY TELEVISION FIVE-YEAR FINANCIAL FRAMEWORK Discussions have been underway between the cities of Eagan and Burnsville to construct a long- term financial framework and operating principles to begin to address the serious capital equipment replacement needs of Community Television, while stabilizing the contributions made by both cities. Director Garrison will give an overview of these discussions and wishes Committee feedback on some of the policy options. ITY EXPECTATIONS OF EAGAN CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU FOR 2004 h` Director Garrison will discuss among other items the process for a review of Ann Carlon, ECVB Executive Director, and discussion on the concept of a promotional product that could be sold by the ECVB and potentially other entities. OTHER BUSINESS Other Business will include any additional business to be discussed at the meeting or topics to be placed in the parking lot and discussed at a future Communications Committee meeting respecting the time constraints of the Committee members. Thomas L. Hedges City Administrator Ins PON Tom Garrison City of Eagan Communications Director City of Eagan tgarrison@cityofeagan.com E)mmR=A=F=T Communications Plan 2004 City of Eagan 2 There are nine major responsibilities currently of the Communications Department: i) Communicating with residents and new residents via a) Experience Eagan bimonthly newsletter b) Cable TV c) Eagan Web page d) New Resident Guide e) Other local media & publications 2) Marketing and Assisting the Marketing Efforts of the following programs a) Community Center b) Cascade Bay c) Ice Arena d) Other City programs 3) Communicating with the Media via a) Press releases b) Events c) Media calls & contacts d) Ongoing issues management 4) Communications on behalf of Council & Staff including: a) Speeches & Addresses (i.e. State of the City) b) Surveys c) Letters, resolutions, reports d) Plaques/Awards s) Oversight of Burnsville Eagan Community Television and the Commission 6) Oversight of the Eagan Convention &Visitors Bureau 7) Communication with Employees including a) All -Employee Meetings b) Employee e-mails. s) Management Team & Supervisory responsibilities 9) Oversight of Recycling Program. s 2 Overview and Executive Summary There are six strategic goals the City of Eagan Communications Department will accomplish in 2004. (See Section Three for specific discussion of each goal.) The strategic goals are to: i) Successfully market and promote the new Eagan Community Center, particularly emphasizing fitness memberships and business meetings. Obtain professional photos of meeting & event set-ups. 2) Further refine and expand city communications via the World Wide Web, focusing on online service delivery and interactive (two-way) communications. 3) Develop a professional video/CD promoting Eagan's assets as an attractive place to live, to go school, grow a business, or visit and relax 4) Improve communications efforts particularly to new Eagan residents (identified by the community -wide survey as the group that has the least knowledge and approval of city services.) Note: This is a carryover goal from '03 plan s) Implement an overall branding strategy and professional graphic standards (currently being developed) for consistent use of the Eagan logo in City publications and on signage. s) Strengthen partnership opportunities by meeting with communication counterparts at local corporations, the school districts, the County and comparable cities. 6 Discussion of Specific Goals The Challenge: Building on the success of the grand opening and the favorable first impressions of most Eagan residents, there is nonetheless much work that remains to be done to market the Eagan Community Center. Daytime customers, particularly businesses have yet to be fully engaged as customers. Good foundational marketing materials have been produced (The Blast and Banquet/Meetings brochures), but important niche markets remain to be engaged. "Finished photos" are also needed for marketing of various event configurations. Outside photos of the grounds at full planting must still be obtained. Given the staff complement of the Community Center, service delivery of the most often requested information will be increasingly important via the Web page. We will do that primarily by: i) Preparing a comprehensive 2004 marketing and promotions plan including key business contacts to be made, strategies to involve targeted groups, organizations, and schools in booking events at the ECC; advertising and public relations opportunities, etc. 2) Concentrating on delivering basic information by Web and other means, freeing up event staff to follow sales leads, book events, and exceed the expectations of customers for their meetings and events. S) Developing a distinct yearlong marketing campaign for fitness memberships building on what we've learned to date. 4) Implementing the approved plan (via Parks & Rec. personnel and available resources); 5) Measuring outcomes and developing strategies for continuous improvement The Challenge: The c ommunity-wide s urvey identified t hat a high p ercentage o f Eagan residents are connected online. Cities face increasing demands to deliver information and services to residents and businesses via the Web. With the launch of the new Eagan Web site the emphasis will change to staff training to ensure quality information delivery and to embrace the powerful new tools for content generation. The new Content Management System will likely create consumer demands/expectations to conduct more business online (e -permits, subscription lists for meeting agendas, requests for information, etc.) and greater challenges to keep up with those demands. We will accomplish our objectives by: i) Ongoing staff training and user group sessions to teach employees how to use these new tools, post new content, create information links and respond to requests for information. 2) Determining and rolling out voluntary e-mail subscription lists to speed requested information to residents and businesses as soon as it is available. 3) Setting sunsets for information on the site to automatically remove dated information from the site; a) "Test driving" new site and make continuous improvements based on feedback. s) Analyzing site traffic and trends and making improvements to content and structure; 6) Identifying, with Council feedback, future Web improvement priorities; 7) Reviewing and updating current Internet links policies The Challenge: Eagan does not currently have a professional up-to-date visual presentation that succinctly summarizes our community assets: leading employers, great schools, wonderful amenities (Cascade Bay, Community Center, Civic Arena), etc. Such a video if transferred to CD would be ideal for assisting the EDC in recruiting new businesses, assisting businesses in recruiting key employees to move here, informing new residents about what there is to do in Eagan, and promoting on Cable Channel 20 what there is to do in Eagan. Eagan will accomplish its objectives by: i) Having d iscussion w ith t he C ity C ouncil and key c ivic a nd b usiness leaders about community assets, needs, and messages. 2) Gathering attractive, professional video images of Eagan (including aerials) and assembling a top notch script, and conducting key interviews. (Director Garrison has more than 18 years experience in broadcast writing and producing.) s) Work with new Community Development Director and the EDC to determine effective messages and strategies; a) Produce video and determine most effective distribution methods. The Opportunity: More than one out of four (26%) of Eagan residents have been here less than five years according to the 2002 community -wide survey. While Eagan residents rate city services highly, it is among the new resident population that scores are at the lowest. We must do a better job of informing our new residents about all that Eagan has to offer. By focusing efforts on new residents, the City of Eagan has an opportunity to better welcome and connect its new residents, improve City approval ratings, and create additional ambassadors for Eagan. " Eagan will improve new resident communication by: 1) Surveying a sample of new Eagan residents to find out what information they feel is most important to have; 2) Comparing those needs to the calls for information City Hall receptionists and front counter workers most receive; 3) In addition to the New Resident Guide for Eagan, distribute attractive video about Eagan—its major attractions, key businesses, great schools, things to do, etc. to all new utility hook-ups in Eagan (approximately 1200 a year). 4) Meeting with the Eagan Welcome Wagon personnel to determine other effective strategies to reach new residents. The Challenge: Eagan has a variety of City publications that often appear to be unrelated and not of the same "family." This fails to maximize the very positive Eagan "brand." Likewise, Eagan has lacked graphic standards stipulating the way in which its logo must appear in its various uses (in print, on clothing, on the Web, etc.) Most professional organizations adopt standards for graphic usage and make the appropriate fonts and file formats available to staff and vendors for consistent use that maximizes the City's image. Note: Eagan does not currently have a consistent logo or a branding strategy, but will have a proposed style guide and a draft standardized logo by December 15, 2003. /D Additional Note: No one is tampering with or replacing the tree. The logo type is being standardized, the tree "cleaned up" for all file formats, and recommendations will be forthcoming from the selected vendor regarding how to apply the logo across all mediums. In 2004 the goal will be to implement this branding strategy across all publications, on letterhead, signage, the Web site, etc. Final Note: This strategy will be phased and over a period of time. For example, when water towers next come due for painting then the standardized logo will be applied. When letterhead runs out, then the next printing we move to the standardized logo type. The City Council will review all recommendations before they are finalized. Eagan will implement the new branding strategy by: i) Suggesting a asy a nd effective w ays t hat a II Eagan publications c an appear to be part of the same family; 2) Establishing rules for consistent use of the City logo; 3) Compiling and making available a graphic standards guide detailing the appropriate use of the City logo in various formats; 4) Determining strategies for maximizing and extending the Eagan brand. The Goal: The magnitude of what needed to be done in Director Garrison's first 18 months did not allow much opportunity to meet and forge partnerships with the other Eagan communications professionals at our largest employers, at the school districts and larger organizations. The goal in 2004 would be to g et t o k now t hese i ndividuals, a xplore w ays t he C ity c an w ork m ore closely with them, ways in which we can share information and opportunities that make City publications, marketing efforts, videos, Web information and business coverage more relevant, useful, and interesting while increasing the City's effective working relationship with these groups. Additional Priorities In addition to the five major goals listed earlier, and other issues that come up over the course of the year requiring communications assistance, the following objectives will also require time and attention of the communications director. Other Objectives: ■ Enhance Burnsville Eagan Community Television revenues, determine five- year financial plan, clarify roles and responsibilities • Comply with new environmental reporting and communications efforts required by federal government, ■ Given increasing diversity projected for Eagan and the 32 different languages spoken within District 196, determine feasibility of delivering limited information delivery in alternative formats/languages via World Wide Web. ■ Other objectives deemed important by the City Council & Administrator Hedges. TO: FROM: DATE: SUBJECT: Priorities MEMO City of Eagan CITY ADMINISTRATOR HEDGES COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR GARRISON August 1, 2003 Year One Accomplishments / Request for Feedback Regarding 2004 It was just over a year ago in mid-May that I began my duties as Communications Director. I am pleased to report to you the great progress the department has made in the last 14 months, and to outline initial communication priorities for the coming year. I would also request feedback from you and the City Council on additional priorities and ways Communications can continue to improve. Overview My starting week on the job in May 2003 was the first of the Mary Jo Copeland/Gift of Mary hearings. Of immediate priority was to get to know the reporters covering City Hall, to provide prompt and clear information, but in a way that clearly indicated official city positions and messages. What follows is a condensed list of some of the Communication Department's accomplishments. In addition to my own work, these endeavors could not have been accomplished without the hard work of Coordinator Joanna Foote and Videographer Raquel Strand. It should also be noted that some of the most effective work we have done is to keep Eagan out of the headlines in certain instances. That won't show up on any list. This memo concludes with remaining 2003 tasks and initial 2004 priorities. Regarding the latter, again, I would like to familiarize myself more with Council priorities so we can make sure those messages and themes are appropriately reflected in all our communications. May 2002 -July 2003 Communications Accomplishments ❖ Closer working relationships with local media ❖ Issued more than 40 press releases on everything from sod to affordable housing to new city phone numbers to the State of the City. ❖ Completed Community -Wide Survey of residents randomly selected ❖ Completed Senior Survey ❖ Clarified job roles and responsibilities, redrafted position descriptions and conducted performance reviews setting clear, measurable expectations ❖ Experience Eagan newsletter back on schedule with improved writing & proofing 1-3 First Year Memo August 1, 2003 ❖ Drafted and issued extensive Web improvement RFP, interviewed prospective vendors and selected contractor ❖ Communication staff worked extensively with other City staff and vendors to develop new Web page design, information architecture and Web capabilities ❖ Developed Web -training protocol to be initiated prior to launch of new Web site in late August ❖ Conceived and conducted Community 9/11 observance ❖ Continuous cable coverage of local election results with enhanced studio interviews, simultaneous Web posting of results and live morning after recap ❖ Completed simplified glossary of government terms project (to be posted on new Web site when active.) ❖ Extensive efforts to draft marketing materials and plans for the new Eagan Community Center including commissioning artist renderings, drafting and printing I ht teas# brochure, and writing two more brochures (banquet and fitness) about to be published. •3 Promotional bags developed for 4th of July parade to promote Th, e blast, Cascade Bay, and other programs. ❖ More than 65 new promos and PSAs to promote city services including extensive promotion of the Community Center ❖ Initiation of Your Town News weekly program and more than 16 YTN Eagan weekly reports; 10 separate programs recorded and more than 300 video chalkboard pages produced for Channel 16, plus enhanced video messages created to promote Eagan on Cable Channel 20 ❖ Redesign completed for improved Community Room cablecasting and presentation, updated camera and editing equipment secured for Eagan television production specialist, plus cable lines extended to the Eagan Community Center ❖ Coordinating still photography for ECC. ❖ Coordinated 4 agency joint press conference on Cedar Pond Wetland restoration ❖ Conducted Amateur Photography contest to obtain more photos for Eagan Web site and publications. ❖ Drafted RFP to re -bid Eagan Business News; selected new vendor, redesigned EBN and launched in Spring of '03. ❖ Reviewed standard letters from Public Works and Planning and suggested improvements ❖ Provided communications counsel to Administrator Hedges, Directors, Mayor, Council, Staff and Commissions. ❖ Streamlined and improved communications with Eagan Convention & Visitors Bureau and reviewed and approved budget and work plan. ❖ Led strategic planning initiative for Burnsville Eagan Community Television and in January 2003 Director Garrison was asked to take over from Tom Hansen as the lead for the two cities providing direction to BECT. ❖ Staff liaison and direction to the joint recycling program which has been broadened to include Apple Valley. ❖ Issued RFP to standardize Eagan logo and provide style guide for consistent logo use and application. ❖ Drafted remarks for mayor speeches and Breakfast with the Mayor events, developed State of the City PowerPoint presentation. /�f First Year Memo August 1, 2003 ❖ New (color) city map created by Communications staff ❖ Participated in July 4 and National Night Out planning and materials, employee giving campaign, Community Services open house, billboards for Eagan, historical society development of literature rack, historic trails concept, 3 new displays, and Thresher's Field naming & research, ❖ Coordinated all -employee meetings communication and presentations and launched study of best practices regarding employee communications. Remaining 2003 Priorities ➢ Successful Grand Opening of the Eagan Community Center ➢ Ensure successful launch and extensive promotion of new Eagan Web site ➢ Improved New Eagan Resident Guide ➢ Completion of virtual reality tours available via Web site of Community Center, and other key facilities ➢ Initiate marketing partnerships and revenue plan for equipment replacement and long- term viability of Community Television operation Initial 2004 Priorities Promote City priorities and messages across all communication channels Build on strengths and lessons learned from year one for continued marketing of Eagan Community Center. 4* Produce professional video promoting Eagan's assets as an attractive place to live, go to school, grow a business, or visit and relax - Improve communications to new residents and those not served by weekly newspapers (which tend to be newer residents based on the results of the Community -Wide Survey.) - Continue improvements to City Web site and consider additional online service delivery, interactive feedback mechanisms and intranet development Strengthen partnerships with communication counterparts at corporations, the school districts, County, etc. 3 S MEETING NOTES COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE MEETING OCTOBER 20, 2003 The Communications Standing Committee of the City Council met from 8:00 to 9:45 a.m. on Monday, October 20, in the office of the City Administrator. Those present were City Councilmembers Carlson and Maguire, Communications Director Garrison and City Administrator Hedges. 2004 Communication Goals The draft 2004 Communications Goals were reviewed with a specific emphasis placed on Goal One, Successfully Market & Promote New Community Center, along with general communications objectives. Points that were made and offered by the Committee include, but are not limited to the following: ■ Endorsed the six proposed communication goals for 2004. • Does the City continue to provide a welcome packet for its residents? • Discussed community feedback about meetings that have been held at the Community Center. The committee recommended that a written survey be developed for those who book the Center for meetings and events, asking them if they plan on returning, would they recommend us, of not why, and other feedback on customer service. Responses would be mailed to Director Garrison. ■ Discussed a possible focus group on early users to discover needs/suggestions/impediments. • Discussed specifically a meeting with Argosy University; a follow-up should be made on how we did in providing meeting space for their event and purpose. • A certain number of tickets for The Blast and Cascade Bay should be given to the ECVB for their marketing purposes. • Consideration should be given to the Community Center Manager attending ECVB Board meetings. • There was discussion as to how the City can better address letters from residents, especially the recent correspondence about the Community Center. • It was suggested that pictures of each City Councilmember be placed on the new web page. ■ There was discussion regarding user surveys on the web page; however, it was concluded that they should be limited to more fun events. ■ There was discussion about the furniture, stating that what is in place is not consistent with the expectations of the Operations Committee and should be brought up in the near future with that Committee. • It was proposed that a separate fitness brochure should be mailed 3 to 4 times a year that would achieve greater marketing and informational purposes for that facility. • There was a suggestion and inquiry about how O ur Town News could b e restructured to provide a better separation of the Burnsville/Eagan news, possibly alternate the news with Eagan one week and Burnsville the next. • There was a suggestion to involve schools with the Community Center, perhaps with a series of open houses. Communications Committee Meeting Minutes October 20 2003 Page 2 ■ There was a suggestion to work with the Fire Volunteers to have the Human E photograph on the cover of the next Eagan phone directory. ■ The committee was assured that any recommendations regarding the City logo or branding would come before the Council for formal consideration. • The committee agreed that equipment replacement is a significant issue in regards to a possible 5 -year financial framework for BELT. Web Pa,,,e Pro=!ress Report There was discussion and presentation by Director Garrison regarding the status of the development and implementation of the new City web page. Some of the topics discussed included: 1) How do we keep the web page fresh with the some 1900 pages that were transferred from the old to the new web page? 2) There is an expectation that the web be more interactive, such as e -government, as well as informational. 3) Could there be an e-mail sign-up for information, such as residents who want copies of the City Council agendas? ECVB There was an overall discussion about the status of the ECVB and how it reports to the Communications Director. After some discussion, there was an affirmation of intent that the ECVB Executive Director should report to the Director of Communications. • The annual review should be done jointly between the Director and the ECVB Executive Board. ■ It was noted that approximately 37% of the ECVB budget is now for salaries; there was some discussion that salaries or personal services should be potentially capped at about 35%. • There should be increased dialogue between the Executive Director and the Communications Director to minimize surprises. Other Business ■ There was mention that Mayor Godfried would be taking a new assignment for six months to fill in for a vacancy. ■ There was discussion on how to deal with a resident who continues to inundate staff with e- mails. The question was how to respond to this person. There was discussion regarding: 1) a policy that after a certain number of information requests, the City would determine a cost for providing the data in a written correspondence to the party requesting the data; and 2) when there is ongoing requests for information by e-mail, a letter be drafted as an informational response in a reasonable fashion. It was a good meeting adjourning at approximately 9:45 a.m. Tom Hedges From: Tom Garrison Sent: Monday, October 20, 2003 11:39 AM To: Tom Hedges Subject: My notes from 10-20 meeting Use if appropriate: Communications Committee Meeting Page 1 of 2 The standing Communications Committee of the Eagan City Council met on 10/20/03 to discuss communication goals for 2004 and the attached agenda. Present were Councilmembers Carlson and Maguire, Administrator Hedges and Director Garrison. ➢ The committee endorsed the six proposed communication goals for 2004 (see Draft 2004 Communications Plan) ➢ With respect to goal number one (marketing and promoting the new Community Center), the committee recommended that a written survey be developed for those who book the center for meetings and events asking them if they plan on coming back, would they recommend us, if not why not, and other feedback on customer service. Responses would be mailed to Director Garrison. ➢ A possible focus group of early users to discover needs/suggestions/impediments was suggested ➢ A Parks & Rec. fitness class brochure separate from the Discover catalog was suggested to be ready before Jan. 1. ➢ A suggestion was made to work on a strategy to involve individual schools with the Community Center, perhaps with a series of open houses. ➢ The suggestion was made that a strategy needs to be formulated to deal with future letters to the editor regarding the community center. ➢ A suggestion was made to work with the Fire Volunteers to have the Human E photograph on the cover of the next Eagan directory. ➢ The committee was assured that any recommendations regarding the City logo and branding would come back before the City Council for final approva. ➢ Regarding the new Eagan Web site, committee recommended that a demo of the new site be made to an upcoming meeting of Council that is broadcast to the public. They recommended that Council (individual) photos be used with bio info and preferred method of contact The Committee recommended some sort of ongoing user survey regarding the new Web page be included online and that a name be required of who is submitting the suggestions ➢ The committee agreed that staff training, exploring the auto routing and requesting of e-mailed information and possible programming to automatically deal with those who "unsubscribe" from requested e-mail lists be priorities in 2004. ➢ With respect to new residents, it was recommended that Communications meet with the "Welcome Wagon" people, get copies of what is currently handed out, and make improvements on same. ➢ The City discussed the current relationship with the ECVB and the many positive strides that have been made this last year. It was suggested that a more formal involvement of the City (via Director Garrison) me made with respect to the annual review of the executive director of the ECVB and the setting of performance goals with the Executive Committee of the ECVB board. It was also suggested it may be helpful for the Community Center manager to attend ECVB board meetings. The committee also asked that how salary ranges are set for employees of the ECVB be reviewed ➢ With respect to a possible five year financial framework for the Burnsville Eagan Community Television, the committee agreed that equipment replacement is a significant issue and also asked that any plans and specifications be reviewed with the Telecommunications Commission for their comment before it comes before the City Council. It was specifically noted that since the two cities make the operational decisions regarding BECT that the Commission's role was for advice and comment, not to specifically approve any such plans. ➢ It was also asked if Your Town News could explore a different format where all the Eagan news could run and all the BV news could run either in separate blocks, or alternating weeks leading with one City or the 10/20/2003 Page 2 of 2 other. The meeting began at 8:00 a.m. and adjourned at approximately 9:50. Sincerely, le Tom Garrison Communications Director City of Eagan (651) 675-5008 (new office #) (651) 675-5012 (new fax #) tgarrison@cityofeagan.com 10/20/2003 MINUTES COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE MEETING OCTOBER 20, 2003 The Communications Standing Committee of the City Council met from 8:00 to 9:45 a.m. on Monday, October 20, in the office of the City Administrator. Those present were City Councilmembers Carlson and Maguire, Communications Director Garrison and City Administrator Hedges. 2004 Communication Goals The draft 2004 Communications Goals were reviewed with a specific emphasis placed on Goal One, Successfully Market & Promote New Community Center, along with general communications obj ectives. Points that were made and offered by the Committee include, but are not limited to the following: • Does the City continue to provide a welcome packet for its residents? ■ Discussed community feedback about meetings that have been held at the Community Center. ■ Discussed specifically a meeting with Argosy University; a follow-up should be made on how we did in providing meeting space for their event and purpose. ■ Discussed a process for users' comments on how the City provided a service at the Community Center. Those comments should be sent to the Director of Communications for review and compilation. ■ A certain number of tickets for The Blast and Cascade Bay should be given to the ECVB for their marketing purposes. Consideration should be given to the Community Center Manager attending ECVB Board meetings. • There was discussion as to how the City can better address letters from residents, especially the recent correspondence about the Community Center. • It was suggested that pictures of each City Councilmember be placed on the new web page. • There was discussion regarding user surveys on the web page; however, it was concluded that they should be limited to more fun events. • There was discussion about the furniture, stating that what is in place is not consistent with the expectations of the Operations Committee and should be brought up in the near future with that Committee. ■ It was proposed that a separate fitness brochure should be mailed 3 to 4 times a year that would achieve greater marketing and informational purposes for that facility. • There was a suggestion and inquiry about how O ur Town News could b e restructured to provide a better separation of the Burnsville/Eagan news, possibly alternate the news with Eagan one week and Burnsville the next. Web Paye Progress Report There was discussion and presentation by Director Garrison regarding the status of the development and implementation of the new City web page. Some of the topics discussed included: Communications Committee Meeting Minutes October 20 2003 Page 2 1) How do we keep the web page fresh with the some 1900 pages that were transferred from the old to the new web page? 2) There is an expectation that the web be more interactive, such as e -government, as well as informational. 3) Could there be an e-mail sign-up for information, such as residents who want copies of the City Council agendas? ECVB There was an overall discuss about the status of the ECVB and how it reports to the Communications Director. After some discussion, there was an affirmation of intent that the ECVB Executive Director should report to the Director of Communications. • The annual review should be done jointly between the Director and the ECVB Executive Board. * It was noted that approximately 37% of the ECVB budget is now for salaries; there was some discussion that salaries or personal services should be potentially capped at about 35%. ■ There should be increased dialogue between the Executive Director and the Communications Director to minimize surprises. Other Business • There was mention that Mayor Godfried would be taking a new assignment for six months to fill in for a vacancy. ■ There was discussion on how to deal with a resident who continues to inundate staff with e- mails. The question was how to respond to this person. There was discussion regarding: 1) a policy that after a certain number of information requests, the City would determine a cost for providing the data in a written correspondence to the party requesting the data; and 2) when there is ongoing requests for information by e-mail, a letter be drafted as an informational response in a reasonable fashion. It was a good meeting adjourning at approximately 9:45 a.m.