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INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 7171
February 3, 1987
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council
Subject: CITY INFORMATION BROCHURES
Citizens frequently request information on what city services
are available and how to obtain those services. Many citizens
who have been reading the city's monthly CITY TIMES waterbill
newsletter have, from time to time, requested more detailed
information on various city services that they could read and
understand. Some departments had been doing an excellent job
of providing written materials and brochures about their
services, particularly departments which provided leisure time
activities. Little or no written information was available to
citizens about such basic services as permitting, trash
collection and street repaving.
After research of other successful information programs in the
public and private sector, the Public Information Office
created an "information brochure" tailored to the needs in Fort
Worth--basic information about essential city services. To
ensure ease of use, a standard format was designed to impart
1 the same basic information about each service:
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*What the city service is.
*How it is provided.
*Frequently asked questions about the service.
*And where to obtain assistance and report problems.
Action Center complaint reports, departmental needs and general
experience were used to identify initial topics for the
brochures.
The physical production is dome by the Public Information
Office. The goal is to produce a new information brochure each
month. The office meets with the department responsible for
providing the service to gather data, the PI0 office then
writes and layouts out the brochure. The department which
provides the service reviews it for accuracy. The PIO Office
then prints the first thousand and provides 500 to the
department. Either the department or the Public Information
office can reprint the brochure at e cost of approximately $75
per 1 ,000.
�JSSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS _��
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INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 7171 o.2
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council February 3, 1987
X Subject: CITY INFORMATION BROCHURES
To date the cost per brochure topic has averaged $238 per
brochure. The seven brochures which have been printed are:
*Streets: how your street are repaired.
*Permits: how to obtain building permits.
*Fire: how you are protected from fire.
*Property Tax Appraisal : how your property is appraised.
*Trash: how your trash is collected.
*Street Repaving: how the city and its citizens share the
cost of street repaving.
*Volunteers: how citizens can be a part of city
Currently in production is the Spanish version of the property
tax appraisal brochure. All brochures will be translated into
an audio brochure accessible on the city Aspen mail system when
space becomes available. A brochure on code enforcement has
been written and is in the review stage. A brochure on the
city's zoning process is in the research stage.
[ Subjects for future brochures are discussed periodically and
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topics on the current list are:
Landfills and Illegal Dumping
Municipal Courts
Consumer Affairs
Public Presentations to City Council
Use of City Facilities
Water/Wastewater
Animal Control
Weights and Measures
Water Access Fees
Police Department Desk Officers
Park and Recreation
Health
Departments responsible for the services discussed in the
brochures will also distribute them as a part of their day to
day activities. The Public Information Office has on order
brochure racks which will be placed in high traffic areas such
as City Hall . The brochure also will be distributed through a
information packet to new citizens and others. The information
packet is still in the development stage.
0� If City Council members desire more information or have
suggested topics, contact the Public Information Office.
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BY THE CITY MANAGER City Manager
FORT WORTH, TEXAS ~��~��