[RTC List] Public e-Comments Launch, Fri, 1:30 PM, Arcata City Hall

[jankrpln at humboldt1.com]

We may be one of the only cities in the country to officially sponsor
these public e-comments for council agenda items on a continuous basis. 
We've set up a system that is open and fair, and conforms to state laws
concerning open meetings and public records.  The public is invited, so
come if you can!
Jan


CITY OF ARCATA
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRESS CONFERENCE launching Public e-Comments - Friday, 1:30 PM

Contacts:
Mark Wheetley, (707) 269-0332
Mayor, City of Arcata
Jan Kraepelien, (707) 825-2104
Communications Specialist

City of Arcata Receives National Digital Governance Award and
Invites Press & Public to Launch of Public e-Comments
Friday July 11, 2008 at 1:30 p.m.
In the Council Chamber
Arcata City Hall
(Press conference to include demonstration of this unique system)

The City of Arcata received national recognition for “Excellence in
Constituent Engagement”.  Arcata received second place in the national
2008 Digital Governance Award presented by Granicus Inc. and Microsoft.
The award recognizes government agencies for excellence, innovation,
creativity, and leadership using digital technology to improve their
government.

“We are proud to honor the City of Arcata. They are the first among our
400-plus clients to develop a program that will integrate a Public
e-Comment service into their webcasting solution to improve
citizen involvement in local government” stated Lauren Alexander,
Corporate Communications Manager from Granicus .

The Excellence in Constituent Engagement Award recognizes excellence in
the application of digital media to measurably improve public outreach and
citizen engagement. Other recipients in this category:
First Place: Onslow County, NC
Second Place: City of Arcata, CA
Honorable Mentions:
City of Chesapeake, VA
City of St. Paul, MN

The City of Arcata received the award for the development of Public
e-Comments – an online process for the City Council to receive Public
Testimony. The e-Comment Form allows the public to give online feedback
and weigh-in on items coming before the Council from their personal
computers prior to the meeting, and have the comments be included in the
public record.

The Community will have an opportunity make online comments starting at
noon this Friday when the City launches Public e-Comments. If the public
wishes to submit e-comments for the July 16th Council meeting, which can
be received up until 8:00 a.m. the morning of the meeting, go to the
online City Council agenda at the City’s Website www.cityofarcata.org.
Public e-Comments are considered part of the public record for that agenda
item and will be compiled into a report by the City Clerk for the City
Council in advance of the meeting.

####

For More Information regarding the Digital Governance Awards, please
contact Granicus Corporate Communications Manager, Lauren Alexander, at
(415) 357-3618.


Also, additional materials are available.  Contact me at
jankrpln at humboldt1.com and I will send these PDFs to you.

- this press release
- Development of Public e-Comments
- Public e-Comment Form
- April 7, 2008, Staff Report by Communications Specialist Jan Kraepelien
regarding philosophy and background for setting up e-Comment system.
(Recommendations from the report were unanimously approved by City Council
on April 16, 2008 and can be viewed by going to:
http://www.cityofarcata.com/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=61 and
selecting VIII Old Business Item A.)

**** note that PDF's are in Adobe Reader 7.0