Memo Communications Efforts
e CITY OF HOPKINS
MEMORANDUM
DATE: Feb. 9, 1995
TO: Honorable Mayor and Hopkins City Council members
FROM: Eileen Harvala, administrative assistant for community relations
SUBJECT: Communications efforts
This is an update on activities I have undertaken during my first two months as Hopkins'
conmmnity relations coordinator. This memo looks at those activities in relationship to the job
description for this position. Some of the projects have been completed, some of the projects are
ongoing, and some of the projects are in the plmming stage.
I believe this position needs to be as open-ended as possible, as responsive to the needs of the
community, the city council and city staff as possible. However, there are more things to do than
time. That's a great thing. Every day, I hear new requests:
. "Can you help me?
. "Would you please look this over?"
. "Do you think Eileen can do something like this?'1
e As you review what has been accomplished the past two months, and look at possible future
endeavors, please consider:
. What do you feel should be my priorities?
. What are your ideas and suggestions?
. What should be my relationship to you?
Communications:
1. Develop, implement and maintain a communications plml; identify communication needs and
goals; assess effectiveness of existing communications vehicles; and make recommendations
for improvement.
. There is a "rough" draft of a communications plan, representing about 22 hours of work. It
needs to be revised before you and city stafT members preview it, and before it is
thoroughly reviewed at the staff and council member retreat.
. Evaluating the city's existing communications efforts is an ongoing process. More and
more staff members are asking me for advice and help in preparing final products for
publication. Dave TecIaw and Susan Newville are examples of just two employees who
genuinely want my input.
.
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. . I also have been working a lot with the Community Development Department, a natural fit
because it has the most direct contact with members of the public.
. 1 already have made changes to Hopkins Highlights and those modifications will continue.
The goal is to give Hopkins residents the information they need about city services and
programs in nicely packaged little chunks. For example, the next edition will feature
articles on the city's bulk item drop off program, water line flushing, Fluffy and Spot Part
II, Razzle, Numbers Up, and a guide to the Board of Review.
2. Write, design and publish in-house newsletters, brochures and articles using desktop pub-
lishing; assist other departments with their publishing needs.
. I reactivated the monthly employee newsletter, called Tidbits, and started a newsletter for
advisory board and commission members, called Nibbles. I consider these to be intemal
communication vehicles. Information for both of these newsletters comes directly from the
weekly Updates. I keep current on the design of the next month's newsletter by
reformatting the information from the Updates, which 1 receive on disk from all of the
departments. I do this so both newsletters can be published on a timely basis at the end of
the month. The employee newsletter also features employees, and tries to answer
questions they might have about things taking place in the community or address internal
issues. Nibbles also focuses on a different advisory board or commission each month. It
. provides information on the previous month's discussion undertaken by the boards or
commissions and what their members will be talking about the next month. The first two
editions have taken a total of 30 hours to produce and distribute.
. Other activity:
Hopkills Highlights - 35 hours;
Fluffy and Spot education campaign 15 hours each;
Numbers Up education campaign 17 hours;
Please Keep It Clean snow removal education effort - three hours;
Generation X - 10 hours (please note that the majority of the fact sheet was prepared
for my job interview with the city - another 20 hours);
Landfill - 41 hours;
Hopkins Human Rights Commission brochure five hours (again, this brochure was
part of my interview package and needed little modification but it initially took about 20
hours to produce);
. Recruitment letter to members of the liquor community to join the Chemical Health
Commission - five hours (I'm pleased to say this generated three responses);
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. Channel 34 community bulletin board - four to five hours a week.
Desktop publishing is extremely time consuming and very valuable. In private industry, desktop
publishing costs a minimum of $55 an hour. According to Herman Strauch from Insty Prints. a
better figure is $90 an hour. 1 say this to illustrate that every professional. quality piece
developed in-house has a great deal of value. You are getting a big bang for your buck. The
hourly figure does not include the benefit of saving formats and information on the computer for
future use. In the long run, thc time spent on desktop publishing is very productive.
3. Regularly provide newspapers and television with articles, photographs and videos about
specific city programs or activities.
. I send out press releases a minimum of once a week, on Wednesday, to both newspapers
and to Southwest Community News. Depending on the amount of information, this takes
one to three hours a weck. Ideas for the press releases and story lists come from the
department managers.
. On a weekly basis, I scnd story idea lists to Southwest Community News. Those same
story idea lists now are being sent to the newspapers as well. Recently, SWCN did a piece
on the Hopkins landfill and the joint city and school district focus on youth activities.
. When warranted, I also send out special news releases such as those for Marketplace and
. the Home Remodeling Show.
. I also have helped Chuck Redepenning and Fran Hesch prepare guest columns or letters for
the newspapers. The new Sailor editor, Mike Smith. has mentioned that he wouldn't mind
running a monthly guest column on a city issue in the newspaper. Steve Mielke's
upcoming state of the city address and the volunteer recognition efforts are possibilities for
March and April.
. r keep a file on future press or city brief needs. Many times these articles are from Hopkins
Highlights or from information running on the Chmmel 34 community bulletin board.
4. Assist in the preparation of videos, and other presentations to the city council, city boards and
commissions and community groups.
. This is in-progress.
. Currently working on Board of Review information piece for Hopkins Highlights. That
same information will be available to residents and business people, and during the actual
Board of Review. I also am exploring with Bob Wilson how this can be turned into a brief
information video. This same process can be used for many council presentations such as
the city manager's alUlUal state of the city address, Capital Improvements Plan, city budget
and annual report.
.
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. . Currently reviewing how presentations made at public meetings can be improved,
including the development of in-house training sessions for employees and presentation
guidelines for staff members and others.
There is a need for the development of information pieces for discussions on important topics. I
prepared an information sheet, with lots of input from Tom Harmening and Jim Kerrigan, on the
Hennepin County Public Works site. Tom then used that information sheet at all of his
presentations, and it was mailed directly to Park Valley residents via their NAB representative.
A similar approach is being used for the landfilL It can be used for virtually any topic such as
the upcoming April 4 TIF discussion on the former Suburban Chevrolet site. You likely will
begin to notice a direct tie between the information sheets and council presentations to the public.
S. Publish an annual report.
. Work has started with publication scheduled for late March or early April. I'll keep you
posted as to its development. Currently, the department employees are developing
highlights lists.
6. Employ effective promotions and advertising techniques to increase awareness and use of city
services and products.
. This will constantly evolve, however:
. Timely information updates are available on the bulletin board - this needs to be
promoted more.
. Information vehicles include the Hopkins library, Hopkins Business & Civic Association.
Property Managers Coalition and Nelghborhood Advisory Board.
. Trying to connect with a Boy Scout troop that would take on Numbers Up as a community
service project.
. Really making an effort to highlight the good things taking place in the community, and
the programs and services offered by the city. I would like to have some kind of
recognition or "good news" mentioneu at least once a month at city council meetings. For
example, at the Feb. 21 meeting we will be publicly honoring the VFW 1'01' its flag
donations, and the police chief and HPD for obtaining the federal grant.
. There may be times when the city needs to explore buying advertising space such as a
public recognition of its volunteers, or far special city events.
. Razzle message line will be expanded to include upcoming agenda items, after action
. reviews, and. . .
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. 7. Develop a city image promotion campaign.
This is a major project with many components.
. Publishing an annual report is one component of a campaign.
. Another component of this is the Strategic Plan for Economic Development. I have talked
to Tom Harmening about actually publishing, in a nice format, the strategic plan once its
revision is complete.
. Researching publishing a residents guide, compiling the information from the new
residents packet. The first publication will require a lot of time to get the information into
the computer, but once there it shouldn't take much to update and revise. These packets
could be produced in-house, or you may want to consider publishing and distributing the
residents guide on a citywide basis.
. Currently researching with Tom Harmening the cost and benefit of undertaking a
community "quality of life" survey. The last general survey was done in 1988.
. Also researching the cost of undertaking a program similar to Brooklyn Park's "Bring
. Home the Park" campaign.
Will be working with HBCA and Property Manager's Coalition on their desires for a
.
community survey, image campaign and recruitment efforts.
8. Promote goodwill through publicity efforts such as speeches, exhibits, films, tours, and
question and answer sessions.
. Haven't done much of this yet except for meeting with everyone of the city's advisory
boards and commISSIOns, attending HBCA meetings, and becoming involved Il1
communitywide amI school district projects.
9. Produce and update a guide to standardize the style and format of city written materials.
. Currently working with Sish Johnson on preparing the guide. You will see some changes
as for-the-public information moves away from government language.
. Bish has excellent grammar skills and writing insight. We help each other out, bouncing
ideas off each other when one of us gets stuck. She has become my invaluable second pair
of eyes.
10. Coordinate programs for the government access channel.
.
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. . Working with Jim Genellie and Jeff Dulac on learning how to use the city's studio and
broadcast equipment.
. Will be hiring Jeff Dulac or possibly Susan Euler to prepare some public service
announcements on such things as human rights, police safety tips and recycling tips.
. Will be taking my own video production training.
. Developing a proposal for a monthly cable show focusing on reccnt activity by the city -
a Nibbles on the aire. This could easily be done in the Paragon studio. How about the end
of February or early March?
. At least once every three months, [ would like to expand the cable show to include a call-in
viewer question format.
B. Customer Service
1. Help organize and coordinate the involvcment of residents, organizations and volunteers.
. A first step is brain storming how the city could use volunteers. What would we like them
to do?
. . Steve Mielke and I currently are evaluating a computer program being used by Methodist
Hospital, which matches volunteers with things they can and would like to do.
. Really need to do some brain storming about how the city could use volunteers.
. Recommend talking to the school district's volunteer coordinator about how they recruit,
use and maintain volunteers. The city of Plymouth also has a half-time volunteer
coordinator who could possibly provide us with some insights.
2. Develop procedures and follow up to ensure that inquiries and complaints are responded to in
a timely fashion.
. All Razzle messages are passed on to Steve Mielke, you and appropriate departments in the
city. [ keep those messages in a file folder on my desk. Rcsponses to thosc comments,
questions, suggestions and concerns are included. The intent is to Jollow up with anyone
who leaves a message.
. Razzle also will have a regular column in the city newsletter.
. Razzle is going to be more than a message line; it is going to be a public comment
program. Currently, I am working on Razzle postcards that you, city employees and board
. and commission members can use to pass on people's conU11ents or have to 11i.U1d out to
people. Tom Harmening and I are looking at the Police Department's customer service
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. survey, and will be adapting that to community development and general government uses.
We can mail these surveys to people and have them available at City Hall.
3. Prepare proclamations, certificates of appreciation, plaques and resolutions to recognize
employees, commission and city council members, community organizations, residents, etc.
. This also includes letters and memos written for you.
. This is key to celebrating the good things happening in Hopkins.
. I have spent about 24 hours on this during the past two months.
4. Member of Customer Service Committee
C. Special Events
1. Serve as the city's liaison to the Hopkins Area Jaycees, Raspberry festival and other
community groups for festivals and promotions.
. Attending the monthly Raspberry Festival meetings.
. Working with other community groups as needed such as getting information to the
. Optimists on how they can close a street during Mainstreet Days for its soap box derby
races.
2. Represent the city during community festivals and at public, social and business gatherings.
. Attend HBCA meetings.
. Will be at Marketplace and the Home Show.
. Will be at the festivals.
3. Assist with special projects such as the Home Show or Marketplace
. Home Remodeling Show - 10 hours.
. Marketplace '95 - 40 hours.
. Student focus "somewhere to go, something to do," youth activities - 24 hours.
This has been time intensive because of the Marketplace and Home Remodeling Show falling on
back to back weekends. I became involved with Marketplace while working at the newspaper.
and picked up thc majority of the uesktop publishing work - the theme, brochure, t1yer and
. program - because HBCA was operating on a shoestring budgct. I couldn't drop the ball once I
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. started working for tbe city, and really felt I needed to fulfill the commitment I started.
However, all of the volunteers working on Marketplace donated countless hours of time over the
past six months. It was quite an effort by a lot of the I-IBeA members and others in the
cOllli11Unity. I think this was time well spent on a communitywide project. Would we do things
different the next time? Yes, recruit more people who also were willing to roll up their sleeves
and get to work.
The student focus on youth activities is an evolving project. It has grown beyond the Hopkins
Chemical Health Commission and the school district. I feel this is definitely a community
relations project. However, we need to look at defining what I can do as the various
subcommittees branch off and begin working on projects. Fran Hesch and I have already talked
about this, and see my role as being a conduit with others getting me the information. I would
then put it into a presentable format, continue to provide the membership database, and the city
would continue to absorb the mailing costs.
Priorities
Since begim1ing work with the city Dec. 8, I have averaged 10 - to 12-hour days, supplementing
daytime hours with evening and weekend work. To date, I have not said no to any request and
really don't want to do that in the future although, from a practical perspective, I have to. lt
comes down to the question of: What are the priorities.
. Here is a list of future and ongoing projects:
+ Develop a communications plan
+ Serving as an information conduit for the youth efforts
+ V olunteer recognition
+ Cable programs
+ Annual report
+ Resident's guide
+ Style book
+ Image campaign
+ Published strategic plan for economic development
+ Landfill
.
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. . Presentation review
. Public comment program
.
.
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