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wanted to know how many residents would visit the website to obtain information, but then asked <br /> how many had visited the website. The results of the question, had it been asked in the former <br /> manner, could have been significantly different and consequently could have been more <br /> encouraging . <br /> There were a few comments written in on the survey sheets, some of which were from those who <br /> had visited the website. Comments on the surveys included a desire to have council agendas e- <br /> mailed regularly, while another felt that Council actions should be updated regularly on the <br /> website. A few responses included the comment that they were unaware the City even had a <br /> website! Last, more than one respondent pointed out that the content of the site was not up to <br /> date. This point is not lost on staff--myself, in particular. One of the biggest mistakes or failings <br /> an organization can make with a website is to not keep it current. Time sensitive material and <br /> information is just that--time sensitive. There is nothing more frustrating than visiting a website <br /> only to find the content out of date. <br /> Conclusions: <br /> We can conclude from the results of this survey a number of things. <br /> • First, if the survey instrument is kept short and simple, distributing them with the utility <br /> bills provides an inexpensive yet extremely successful method of garnering public opinion <br /> concerning a specific matter. A detailed, in depth survey, in my opinion, would be less <br /> successful. <br /> • Second, a large number of residents would like to receive information via e-mail <br /> concerning City events or other municipal information. With the desire to promote a <br /> higher level of communication between the City and its residents, utilizing e-mail is a <br /> logical and cost-effective way to raise residents' awareness regarding certain matters. <br /> • Third, more than half of the respondents have indicated they have Internet access. It <br /> would be reasonable then to expect, due to the high rate of return, that more than 50% of <br /> all of the households in Mounds View have access to the Internet. And since a properly <br /> designed and updated website can ultimately be a labor-saving agent of the City via its <br /> power of disseminating information, we should promote its availability to our residents <br /> with every presented opportunity. <br /> • Last, while the question was not explicitly asked, the results seem to indicate that more <br /> people with Internet access would visit the City's website if they knew it existed, if it were <br /> kept current, and if the residents knew it was the source for municipal information. <br /> Building on the last three points, it is my opinion that we need to strengthen and improve our web <br /> presence by committing more time to maintaining the site by keeping the content up to date and <br /> by providing additional information to the residents. The City's ability to communicate <br /> electronically with its residents via e-mail and the website is an under-utilized yet exciting and <br /> powerful tool, one which has the potential of accomplishing so much with very little investment. <br /> 2 <br />