COMMUNICATIONS POLICY
GOAL
The City aims to be open with the media and to be respected and valued by our citizens. The City will take the initiative to ensure clear and complete information is provided to the public regarding municipal decisions and the decision-making process. Public consultation is encouraged.
ADVERTISING
The City meets statutory requirements for notification and involvement of the public on development proposals, borrowing bylaws and other initiatives that require public involvement.
The City purchases advertising to inform the public of specific Council decisions, upcoming public meetings and events, new programs and services. The City does not purchase ads for general promotion of the city, nor for general “greetings” from the Mayor and/or Council.
ANNUAL REPORT
The City publishes an Annual Report each year that summarizes highlights of the past year’s activities and includes the Auditors’ Report and Financial Statements. The Communications Manager coordinates the report.
BROCHURES
The Communications Manager should be informed of any intent to publish or update brochures, printed materials or other public communications.
CITIZEN SURVEY
Council has approved an annual Citizens Survey to measure citizen satisfaction with programs and services and to gauge areas where improvements can be made. The survey is an important planning tool to be used in setting priorities for future operational and facility expenditures. The Communications Manager coordinates the survey. (Other surveys are handled by the various departments.)
E-mail is to be used for business purposes and should be business-like in format and tone. Full sentences, proper grammar and punctuation are expected.
Profanity is prohibited, as is the use of racial or sexist jokes or slurs, or other comments that would be deemed in poor taste. Downloading such material is not acceptable.
FILMING
The City of Kelowna encourages and supports filming within the city and will make every effort to accommodate filming requests whenever possible. Interested filmmakers need to submit their requests to the Communications Manager who will outline the required procedures. The City only charges for services provided to filmmakers if costs are incurred.
IDENTIFICATION CARDS
Bylaw Enforcement and Inspections Services staffs performing outside work are issued Identification Cards featuring the Coat of Arms. Other identification cards issued will bear the City logo. Badges will be current for three years, with the exception of contract staff whose badges will be current for one calendar year.
LOGO/COAT OF ARMS
The City’s corporate logo serves to officially identify the diverse facilities and services provided by the City of Kelowna. The City will not allow the use and/or reproduction of the City of Kelowna corporate logo for commercial purposes. Non-commercial use will be permitted only for events where the City of Kelowna is a major participant (at the discretion of the Communications Manager), or where Council has provided endorsement or approval.
The “Sails” logo will be the standard corporate logo used by the City for letterhead, business cards and vehicle identification. The Mayor may utilize the Coat of Arms, if preferred.
MEDIA RELATIONS
Spokesmen
Directors and identified management staff are authorized to speak with the media on policy issues. (Directors should clarify in advance who is responsible for dealing with specific issues.)
A spokesperson may be appointed by the City Manager on an issue of major significance. If that occurs all managers will be notified and all inquiries regarding that particular issue should be forwarded to the appropriate spokesperson.
Any questions regarding political issues should be referred to the City Manager or to the Mayor.
Media Inquiries
The Communications Manager will coordinate media inquiries and refer calls to the appropriate spokesperson. If staff receives a call from the media and the question is not related to their area of responsibility the call should be transferred to the Communications Manager for appropriate referral.
Directors or their designates should respond promptly and accurately to all media inquiries. Factual information should be provided, and the positive should be emphasized (ie. new service, improvements, dollars saved).
The City Manager and the Communications Manager should be notified of media contact as soon as possible after an interview.
Radio/television Appearance Requests
The Communications Manager should be contacted prior to acceptance of any invitation to appear on a radio or television program. The City Manager will determine if it is advisable and if a member of Council should also appear on the program.
Media Misrepresentation
Factual Discrepancies – It is the responsibility of Department Directors to contact the media when a story has been published or aired that contains a factual error which significantly impacts the public’s perception of the issue. The City Manager and the Communications Manager should be notified and will be available to assist.
Editorial Discrepancies – The City Manager will determine if an official City response is appropriate.
NEWS RELEASES
News releases are encouraged to promote municipal activities and services. Department Directors, or their designates, are to notify the Communications Manager of events, projects or issues that may be of interest to the general public and the media.
NEWS RELEASES (cont’d)
Relevant background information is to be provided by the department involved (written notes or draft release); the Communications Manager will prepare the final release. The appropriate staff member will be named at the bottom of the release, with the Communications Manager. Appropriate phone numbers will be provided.
All news releases are to be sent from Administration on City letterhead and copies will be circulated to staff (via the Intranet), the Mayor and Council. News releases will also be posted on the City’s Website.
VOICE MAIL
Calls to the main City Hall number are always answered personally as are direct calls to key departments. Employees with voice mail are encouraged to provide an option for those callers who wish to speak with someone immediately (ex. dial 0), and that number should always be answered personally. Callers should receive no more than one voice mail message prior to reaching a staff member directly.
Voice mail messages should be updated daily, include the current date and be brief. Staff should record a new message prior to vacations mentioning the expected date of return.
All calls should be returned the same day if possible, the next day at the latest.
“Action Lines” are available at Works and Utilities and the Parks Division to provide information and to increase call-handling efficiency.
WEBSITE
The City will maintain an up-to-date user-friendly Website to assist citizens in their business with the City. The site will be informative and inter-active to facilitate communication between the public, City Councillors and City staff. A calendar of activities lists City meetings and events open to the public; the calendar will not list general community meetings and activities unless there is direct City involvement.
All requests for posting of information to the Website are to be referred to the Communications Manager. Posting responsibilities are handled by designated staff.
The City will consider incorporating direct links to other websites if they are deemed useful to our citizens (ex. other government agencies) and do not promote a particular business or philosophy.
INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS
Employee Newsletter
An employee newsletter is published quarterly to keep all staff up to date on city projects and initiatives, and the activities of their fellow co-workers. The newsletter is to be enjoyable and informative, to keep people “in the know” and feeling part of the municipal team.
InSite
The City’s internal website, InSite, links all staff with computer access electronically. Corporate messages are posted here by staff in the various departments, and a “Bulletin Board” service exists for non-business news. Staff photos are featured to foster an understanding of the variety of interesting jobs available with the City of Kelowna.
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