CITY OF SHAWNEE
POLICY STATEMENT
SUBJECT
City Communications Policy
POLICY
NO.
EFFECTIVE
DATE
PS-70
01/11/2016
REVISION
DATE
PAGE
1 of 3
BACKGROUND
As a city government, one of our most important responsibilities is communicating with the public. The
residents and businesses of Shawnee are key stakeholders in creating progress in our City and because
of that, it is vital that we keep them informed in an accurate and timely manner. By doing this, the City is
promoting open communication and helping to build our community’s trust in their local government.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this policy is to set out the methods, key messages and values by which the City will
communicate.
POLICY
It is the policy of the Governing Body that our organization remain proactive in identifying and developing
the most efficient and effective ways to communicate this with the public.
As a City, we will focus on the following:

Building community awareness of the services and programs that are provided by the City.

Keeping our citizens informed in a timely and accurate fashion on major issues and projects that
have a direct impact on their lives. We want information about policies, projects and programs to
be available for all audiences and for priority projects to be common knowledge.

Cultivating and increasing engagement with our citizens so they are invested in the process of
building our community.

Building and maintaining positive relationships with local media outlets to help ensure fair,
accurate, and comprehensive coverage of City news and events.

Positioning the City’s communications channels and tools as the most timely and accurate source
for City government information.

Building community pride among citizens and businesses through positive interactions with our
City.
METHODS
As the number of ways in which our citizens can obtain information continues to expand, it is important
that we continue to change and expand our methods of communication to reach our audiences. We must
do this by focusing on providing accurate, understandable, and timely information to as many of
our citizens as possible. To maximize our efforts, we will:

Create and maintain a coordinated system across the entire organization that ensures efficient,
effective, and impactful communications between the City and our citizens and businesses.

Establish consistent messaging throughout all City communication channels.
POLICY STATEMENT
City Communications Policy
POLICY
NO.
EFFECTIVE
DATE
PS-70
01/11/2016
REVISION
DATE
PAGE
2 of 3

Disseminate information through a wide variety of channels in order to reach as broad a
spectrum of the community as possible.

Maximize opportunities for community engagement so citizens and businesses feel encouraged
to express their ideas and concerns directly to City staff.
KEY MESSAGES
The key messages we want our audiences to know:

We strive to be an open, proactive, professional, and efficient city government.

We strive to invest citizens’ and businesses’ tax dollars wisely.

We constantly work to provide a variety of City programs, services, and events.

We strive to invest in the priorities and services that our citizens have identified as most
important to them.

We will always try to respond to citizens’ questions and comments in an accurate and
timely manner.

Shawnee is a great place to live, visit, and do business.
VALUES
When communicating with our Key Audiences, we will adhere to the following:

Accuracy. We will always communicate fact-based information about issues facing the City.

Timeliness. We will respond to the public and media in a timely manner to maintain credibility
and build trust.

Inclusiveness. We will attempt to engage as many citizens as possible when making decisions
on issues and projects that directly affect them.

Simplicity. We will always strive to provide information in a clear and concise manner.
KEY AUDIENCES

Citizens

Businesses

City Boards and Committees

Community Organizations

Employees and Volunteers

Local Media Outlets
RESPONSIBLITIES
The Communications Division will provide oversight for the implementation and training related to this
policy. However, all employees and elected officials of the City will play an integral role in successfully
meeting the goals of this policy.
POLICY STATEMENT
City Communications Policy
POLICY
NO.
EFFECTIVE
DATE
PS-70
01/11/2016
REVISION
DATE
PAGE
3 of 3
RESOURCES
When considering the best methods to meet the goals of this policy, staff will take into consideration
resources available including staff time and budgeted dollars.
IMPLEMENTATION
This policy shall remain in force until officially changed by the majority of the Council Members present
and voting; where the number of the favorable votes is one (1) less than required, the Mayor shall have
the power to cast the deciding vote in favor of the action.
CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL AND REVISION DATES
January 11, 2016
OTHER REFERENCE (COMMITTEE MEETINGS)
December 3, 2015:
Council Committee, Agenda Item No. B.1
Michelle Distler, Mayor
Stephen Powell, City Clerk