Agenda Packets - 2001/08/06 - Laserfiche WebLink

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From: Patrick Toth [patt@rcmnet.org] Sent: Tuesday, July 31, 2001 12:13 PM To: Miller, Kathleen Subject: Communication/television dept. opinions and suggestions Kathleen, Here's the brief listing you requested of my opinions and suggestions regarding the current situation with city communications and the cable television department. As we will be discussing this and other areas of interest at the August 6th work session, feel to respond and offer your thoughts before hand, if you wish. Members of the M.V. Cable Committee will be attending the work session next Monday. Their knowledge and guidance has been an indispensable asset over the years and it's my hope that their opinions and concerns will be a valued commodity at the discussion. I feel that the city has four directions to take: The establishment of an administrative communication department, combining the city's communication and media resources and services; television, website/email, phone system, press liaison. The creation of this department would promote efficiency and streamline project management and decisions. Given the fact the communication continues to evolve and play a major role in city business and with the citizens, the idea of forming a communication department within the city's infrastructure is not only becoming very common with other municipalities, but is a wise, long-term solution for future goals and productivity of Mounds View. There are three areas to examine closely with this option. 1. Budgetary matters and funding. For example, would the current franchise fees that fund the cable department be pooled with a other sources to form a new department budget or would they remain seperate? 2. Staffing. Would others be hired or kept on to assist (ex., part-time television production assistants) the department head with his or her responsibilities? 3. Responsibilities. Combining communication efforts under one roof would shift some current responsibilities to the new department. The possibility also exists that some responsibilities would remain with staff but under a new supervisory role. Would this changes and alterations to the staff infrastructure be accepted? The options below maintain that the cable department would remain as it is now, a seperate entity. Continuation of a part-time television coordinator with production assistance. This option would be a continuation of what exists in the cable television department as of now. It would remain functionary under the finance department with funding from cable franchise fees. All responsibilities would remain the same and part-time/on-call, free-lance production staff would continue to assist. Establishment of a part-time television coordinator without production assistance. This alteration of the current position would lower the overall responsibilities and functions within the department. The main responsibility of the part-time employee would the recording, playback scheduling and monitoring of city meetings. Less emphasis would be cast on city and community programming. Administrative duties would also be lessened. This individual would direct most of the city meetings, relying on on-call help only when necessary. This would mainly be an evening position, keeping two to five hours a week open for light administrative tasks. This option, minimizing the department as a whole, could be utilized for a short time while larger, future objectives are developed. Establishment of a full-time television coordinator without production assistance. This option is the opposite from the one above. In establishing this, the television coordinator would move from a part-time to a full-time position, combining administrative and all television production duties, thus eliminating the need for a night-time city meeting director (although an on-call, free-lance assistant would be necessary). The coordinator would have to be flexible, working a.m. and p.m. hours as well as alone. He or she would direct most, if not all of the city meetings. City productions and projects would also be given a