2007/2008 COMMUNICATIONS PLAN

Town of Cary, North Carolina

Prepared by Susan Moran

Public Information Officer

July 1, 2007

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Town of Cary Mission Statement........................................................................................... 3

Statement of Values................................................................................................................. 3

Citizen Service Commitment Statement........................................................................... 4

Introduction................................................................................................................................... 5

2006/2007 Communications Program Summary.............................................................. 6

2007/2008 Communications Goals & Initiatives............................................................. 11

Internal Communications..................................................................................................... 11

External Communications..................................................................................................... 13

General Citizenry......................................................................................................... 13

Media.............................................................................................................................. 15

Politicians........................................................................................................................ 16

Appendix................................................................................................................................. A-1

Town of Cary Organizational Chart.................................................................... A-2

Town of Cary Media Contacts Standard Procedure..................................... A-3

Town of Cary Public Information Materials Standard Procedure............... A-5

Town of Cary Regional Media Distribution List.................................................. A-6

Town of Cary Information Vehicle List................................................................. A-7

M

ISSION STATEMENT

At the Town of Cary we focus every day on enriching the lives of our citizens by creating an exceptional environment and providing exemplary services that enable our community to thrive and prosper.

S

TATEMENT OF VALUES

To achieve our mission we will uphold the following values:

1. Our organization exists to serve our citizens. We will be open, ensure access, encourage involvement and be accountable to our citizens.

2. Employees are our most important resource. We will attract and retain the best employees and invest in their personal and professional growth.

3. We will be honest, ethical and diligent. Our actions will comply with local, state and federal laws.

4. We will treat everyone with dignity, respect and fairness.

5. We will achieve the best results through effective teamwork, strategic partnerships and community participation.

6. We will provide outstanding customer service that is polite, friendly and responsive.

7. We value creative thinking and innovation. We will continue to be nationally recognized for excellence in local government.

8. We value growth that balances desired service levels, economic benefits and continued stability for our community.

9. We are cost conscious. We spend public funds responsibly and effectively to ensure the Town’s short and long term financial strength.

10. We are committed to proactive, comprehensive planning to guide the future of our community.

11. We will preserve and protect our environment. We will be good stewards of our finite natural resources.

C

ITIZEN SERVICE COMMITMENT STATEMENT

With service as our only product, the Town of Cary is dedicated to providing the highest achievable level of customer satisfaction by providing citizen services in the most effective manner possible. We will accomplish this through polite, friendly, and courteous interactions with citizens and by making a personal commitment to resolving citizen problems quickly and thoroughly. We strive to give immediate attention to citizen needs and to provide citizens with complete and accurate information in a timely manner. Our goal is to be recognized throughout the Eastern United States for providing the highest quality customer service to all citizens.

INTRODUCTION

Believing that government effectiveness, efficiency, and equity are strengthened with open communication, the Town of Cary established its Public Information program in 1997 to develop and direct a comprehensive communications effort by building and maintaining beneficial relationships between the Town of Cary and our many publics through appropriate, consistent, timely, complete, and accurate information sharing.

In accordance with the policies and philosophies of the Cary Town Council, the Town of Cary’s annual Communications Plan articulates the communication goals of Cary Town Government and the initiatives to be undertaken during the fiscal year to achieve these goals.

Where appropriate and consistent with nationally accepted best practices, detailed communications plans are developed for individual initiatives throughout the year. These plans include project goals, measurable objectives, strategies, tactics, target publics, key messages, and a budget.

2006/2007 COMMUNICATIONS PROGRAM SUMMARY

Fiscal year 2007 was the ninth full year of the Town’s comprehensive, strategic communications program. During FY 2007, the Town:

INTERNAL EFFORTS

§ Established a work team to aid in the development of PRCR C-Net;

§ Developed a marketing notebook that places all marketing opportunities and instructions in one location for easy access;

§ Developed a standard procedure to deal with information security breaches, including efforts to notify the public;

§ Attended career fairs to help in recruiting highly qualified applicants for Town staff vacancies;

§ Convened a vendor focus group to help revise the internal standard procedure that guides how the Town handles Requests for Proposals;

§ Developed and implemented a communications effort that increased employee participation in payroll direct deposit;

§ Continued the day-long, comprehensive new employee orientation;

§ Implemented a communications plan supporting the Town’s new Mission Statement and Statement of Values;

§ Continued to use C-Net, the organization’s internal Web site, to feature important activities and issues for Town staff;

§ Implemented the RFP process for internal requests for videos;

§ Continued to offer communication skills training, including the first Business Writing classes;

§ Revised the guidelines for presenting information to the Town Council during meetings in the Chambers;

§ Developed a process to help ensure that Police materials consistently meet the Town’s Graphic Standards Manual, and produced and distributed a number of crime prevention flyers;

§ Continued preparing and distributing to staff and Council electronic fact sheets, e-mails, and other materials on emerging and key Town government issues;

§ Continued offering benefits and financial fairs to provide financial planning education and clarification for current and future financial goals and to prepare for financial emergences;

§ Worked with UNC School of Government to conduct a Strategic Technological Needs Assessment;

§ Continued to hold biannual meetings with customer service staff members to increase knowledge of Town operations and train on effective customer service skills;

§ Issued the first multi-year RFP for the 2008, 2010, and 2012 Biennial Citizens Satisfaction Survey;

§ Organized a strategic team to assist in developing a plan to enhance current efforts to communicate and educate employees on effective health improvement;

§ Researched methods to make benefits resource information more centralized and accessible to employees and their families from home;

§ Continued issuing benefits statements to all Town employees emphasizing total compensation package;

§ Continued media relations classes: basic, refresher, and public safety;

§ Continued monthly meetings of the Public Education Group and quarterly meetings of the Internal Web Focus Group;

§ Created the name and logo for the Town’s traffic information system, wink;

§ Utilized the police internal Web site, MDC, to quickly distribute sex offender, traffic, and other information important to police operations; and,

§ Created a Council policy to guide staff in responding to Public Records’ requests.

EXTERNAL–GENERAL CITIZENRY

§ Developed a Senior Programs Brochure with larger text and other features, which brings the Senior Programs up to the same level as Teen Programs in its marketing efforts;

§ Successfully implemented communications planning efforts regarding “Boil Water” notifications, including use of the Town’s new dynamic message signs;

§ Designed and published Cary’s first multi-age advertisement section in the Wake County CVB Visitors Guide to showcase what Cary has to offer in the way of sports, recreation and entertainment;

§ Developed a Community Calendar Submission process that provides PRCR a way to communicate special events and programs to various media outlets’ community calendars;

§ Developed and implemented Beat the Peak 2006, the Town’s annual summer water conservation outreach campaign;

§ Issued the annual water quality and wastewater reports to all utility customers;

§ Continued to execute the Morrisville merger communication plan;

§ Developed the WaterWise Educational Programs brochure for teachers;

§ Continued to distribute information sheets concerning appropriate disposal for residential and commercial fats, oils, and grease in English and Spanish;

§ Continued with odor control communications efforts to surrounding residents of the Town’s two water reclamation facilities;

§ Combined cross connection and water conservation mailings for irrigation systems;

§ Provided program updates to reclaimed water customers via direct mail;

§ Continued to utilize the Block Leader program participants for disseminating Town environmental program information;

§ Continued updating citizens regularly on seasonal solid waste issues, including the implementation of a holiday schedule change postcard;

§ Continued a comprehen