3E, Communications Committee Subcommittee Proposal

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Da#e: March 28, 2011 To: Mayar and City Councilmembers Patrick Klaexs, City Administrator From: Arlene Mitche�l, Communications Committee Chairperson Subject: Czty website change: subject-arienied email lists The Communications Committee is in the process of looking at the meti�ods and tools used io comrnunicate city inforrnation. One thing that we have nflted is t�at people are increasingly u�ing websites, email lisis, and social netwarking tools to sign u� for messages on subjects of their choosing. Sarn.e metro cities are already providing this ap#ion. While we are still studying how the city can take best advantage of what technology now has to offer, ane idea—using subject- oriented email lists to send short, timely, targeted messages—proznises so much value that we would like to begin experimenting with zt now. Wha# we Iearn from doing this will assist us is in preparing other ��commendations. �n the past, people attending various city meetings have been afFered appartunities to put iheir naxne on a contact list, however, this has been a largely manual pxocess. We now have other options. The email lists we are referring ta in �his memo wau�d be built not by staff, but by the peo�le themselves, who would go the city's website and "subscribe" ta subjects that interest ihem. (An "unsubscribe" facility would a�so be available.) Staff could then use ihe lists built on the website to sez�d tizxxeiy, targeted emails. Or�r proposa� . We would like an apportunzty to experiment wiih tl�is faciliiy. This exper�ment will not cost the city anytliing except a Iittie stafftime. Meagan Beekman, who has been participating in the committee's discussions, reports that the capability already exists ta creaie subject-oriented email lists from tk�e city's website and ihen use those ��sis to send me�sages; she just needs put it into place on the current website. We would like to have her do that. In additiox� to learning how the technology works, we need to work out process issues. Our goal is to su�port staff in identifying the points in work flow when messages should be seni and in creating eff cient and effective processes for quick�y producing and sending standard emails. We will start with small, but meaningfuI messages. All expe�z�aezats need a siudy group and we would Iike to use thase already active in the city—iis elected Ieadership, staff, and commission and committee volunteers—as our core participants. We wa�id begin by using existing staff err�ail lists io send traditional ema.ils to these people, inviting them ta go to the city's website and subscribe io ihe topics that interest them. Because the ability to �ubscribe would be on the city's website, it is possible ihat others will stumble on it and sign up, too. We view that as an asset—their participation will help us gauge interest and haw successful this carnmunicatians technique can be for the city.