09-27-2023 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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STAFF REPORT TO: Mayor Fischer and Members of City Council FROM: Chris Heineman, City Administrator Laura Linehan, Community Relations Manager DATE: September 27, 2023 RE: Communications and Community Outreach Update ACTION TO BE CONSIDERED: This is an update and discussion item only; no action is required. BACKGROUND: In spring of 2022, staff and the City Council participated in a strategic planning exercise to update the 2019 Strategic Plan. A common theme throughout that exercise, was the importance of staff and council members to ensure residents are better informed. As a result, a strategic initiative of enhancing identify and empowering the community was developed to ensure the city was working towards embracing the community’s diversity, and informing the public on decisions impacting their lives. Additionally, as a result of the 2022 Organizational Study that was finalized in March of 2023, it was identified that to address staffing challenges, the creation of a full-time position focused on communications and community engagement would benefit the City. Therefore, on April 14, 2023, Administrator Heineman introduced the draft job description for the Community Relations Manager position, with final approval at the April 26, 2023 meeting. Based on the approved job description, four overarching areas of responsibility for the Community Relations Manager include Community Relations, Operations, Communications, and Community Engagement. On July 17, the Community Relations Manager started with the city. As this is a newer role for the city, staff felt it would be appropriate to provide an update on communications and outreach efforts after two months of having the position filled. COMMUNICATIONS AND OUTREACH UPDATE: An overview of initiatives both in process and completed for each overarching area of responsibility is provided below.