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Home My WebLink AboutIR 9892 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 9892 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council May 24, 2016 h�T�i7 Page 1 of 3 �i �i7 Y *a SUBJECT: COMMUNICATION OF CITY INFORMATION AND NEWS #qrF rn Y g 7'.L The Communications & Public Engagement Office (CPE) continues to use a variety of communications tools and public outreach methods to reach out to residents. City Times One of the tools we use to get information to residents is our monthly water bill insert — City Times. The insert reaches approximately 240,000 households each month. Electronic copies of the insert are also posted on the website for residents who do not get a bill in the mail. The CPE works with departments to develop messages and content for each issue. Topics for 2016 have included: January Annual Frequently called numbers handout Smartscape Plants Repair leaks to conserve water February Rain barrel and Compost bin sale Adopt a Cowtown spot Free income tax assistance Earth Day activities March Rain barrels and compost bin sale reminder Butterfly exhibit at Botanic Garden Turn around — Don't drown safety message Charter Election information April Recycle Right Animal Control Nixle Emergency Alerts Garbage and Recycling App May Water Safety Air quality and ozone alerts Free and low cost spay and neuter services June Control mosquitos safety message Cook's Children Drowning coalition safety message FW Connection A new communications tool is the quarterly insert FW Connection. This insert has an estimated reach of approximately 440,000 residents at a cost of$25,000 each quarter. The first issue appeared in the March 27 Star-Telegram. It was also included in the Wednesday advertisement mailing to all residents the following week and was also placed in La Estrella. We also overprint 10,000 copies and place them in city facilities and distribute them at neighborhood events and public meetings. ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 9892 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council May 24, 2016 h�T�i7 Page 2 of 3 �i �i7 Y *a SUBJECT: COMMUNICATION OF CITY INFORMATION AND NEWS #qrF rn f e'?5 The next quarterly issue will be delivered to non-subscribers June 22, inserted in La Estrella June 25 and inserted into the Star-Telegram on June 26. We will also be inserting the next issue into La Vida. We will once again have 10,000 overprints to distribute throughout the summer. City Page The FW Connection was created in response to the need for more printed information for those residents who do not actively subscribe to electronic updates or follow us on social media. In the past, the city had a weekly feature page in the Star-Telegram, La Estrella and La Vida called City Page. This was suspended because of the rising cost of newspaper space. In order for the city to reinstate the City Page on a weekly basis, it would cost: Publication Weekly Annually Reach Star-Telegram • Full-page $4,914 $255,528 376,749 households • Half-page $2,457 $127,764 La Estrella • Full-page $2,500 $130,000 125,000 households • Half-page $1,250 $ 65,000 La Vida • Full-page $1,008 $ 52,416 10,000 households • Half-page $ 504 $ 26,208 We would also have a weekly translation fee of approximately $250-$400. Currently the city uses these communication tools to reach our various audiences: Communications Tool Reach Audience Weekly electronic newsletter City News 9,000+ subscribers General Public • Mobility Monthly 600+ stories per year • Eco-Insider Monthly Produced City Times water bill insert 11 issues with 45+ articles Water customers Media Requests 525 individual requests Media Media Brief 233 daily briefs Staff Social Media Social Media subscribers • Facebook 7,500+ likes • Twitter 56,700+ followers • Nextdoor 68,000 subscribers Roundup newsletter for employees 48 issues with 510 stories Employees City Website 5,841,669 views General Public Annual Report electronic version only) FWTV General Public and • Taped and posted meetings 252 meetings last year Employees • Special videos for departments 100+ videos annually ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 9892 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council May 24, 2016 h�T�i7 Page 3 of 3 �i �i7 Y *a SUBJECT: COMMUNICATION OF CITY INFORMATION AND NEWS #qrF rn f e'?5 Community Outreach and meetings 921 total meetings last year • Neighborhood Association Meetings 259 meetings Neighborhoods • Public & Planning Meetings 60 meetings Residents • Community Events and Fairs 49 meetings • School Presentations 205 meetings Teachers and Students • After-School, Community 348 meetings Children Centers, Library and Summer Camp presentations • Developed the weekly Community Engagement Bulletin 1,143 subscribers Neighborhood Leaders who • Emails to Neighborhood Leaders 302 Neighborhoods share with members Completed Neighborhood Meeting 204 Reports submitted last Council members and staff Reports year 5,299 residents at meetings Robocalls 90,650 calls made last year Council member request We continue to look for new ways to communicate with the public. We recognize that while many of our residents use social media and the internet to stay informed, we also have a large percentage of our population that prefer more traditional ways of engagement. The office currently uses flyers, posters, postcards, social media, website updates and short videos for outreach. The amount of printed material is small because of the limited budget for printing. The CPE office continues to look for ways to partner with other departments so that we can provide more printed material. • The water bill insert City Times is currently printed in partnership with the Water Department. The Communications and Public Engagement Office does the writing and layout for the publication. The Water Department provides the funding. • Program material used by the Community Engagement team is printed by departments. • Public meeting flyers, posters and handouts printing is paid by the department responsible for the project. The CPE office offers graphic and writing support. • The frequently called numbers handout is currently printed in partnership with the Water Department. It is distributed each year in the January water bill. The information is compiled by the Community Engagement staff. • The Get Connected cards are printed by the Community Engagement Office. Any questions about this IR can be directed to Michelle Gutt, Communication & Public Engagement Director at 817-392-6248. David Cooke City Manager ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS