ANALYSIS:
There are various ideas that are shared in this email. I'm pleased to say that we are already working on implementing, or already have implemented many of the items in this document.
In the recommendations portion, there is reference to the City needing to be more proactive with the public earlier in the project process. This is something that has been discussed for a while and we are excited to say that most recently, with the Orchard Park Neighborhood, we were able to schedule a meeting with them to discuss future projects in their neighborhood. This allowed us to gain valuable feedback as we begin to plan the next steps with them. This is something we plan to do with neighborhoods moving forward.
The document also references the need to create a clear Mission Statement and organized plan for outreach. Again, I am happy to state that this has been in progress and together with the Deputy Chief Resiliency Officer, we have been working with a Masters intern that is working to interview all staff that interact with the public as well as all consultants that are brought on for the same purpose. Through this process she has discovered a lot of needs and requests from the consultants and has begun to create a formal internal process that will then be rolled into a formal external process.
There are many teams that work together on public outreach. The office of Capital Improvement Projects has two Public Information Specialists and the Public Works Department is in the process of hiring one as well. Both of these departments also work with a list of approved community outreach consultants that work on specific projects to manage the public outreach for those projects. The Marketing and Communications Department also has a community outreach coordinator that supports individual residents, neighborhood groups and organizations - serving as a bridge between administration and the community. The Liaison attends monthly meetings hosted by various associations/organizations, disseminating information on the city’s behalf as well as receiving resident feedback and addressing matters appropriately. This position ensures contact information is current for the 44 registered associations and frequently stays in touch with board members in an effort to communicate upcoming projects, events or seek feedback. Other forms of communication include managing the city’s Nextdoor account. This social platform for residents has 4,865 members- all verified residents - who actively engage with the city’s posts informing of traffic advisories, upcoming meetings, parks & rec programs among others.
There is also reference in the document to use innovative designs for public meetings. This initiative has been recently implemented and evident at the G.O. Bond public meetings. Staff is also working hard to use the "rising above" branding to create similar standards for other public meetings moving forward.