HomeMy WebLinkAboutPACKET Town Board Study Session 2019-01-22Tuesday, January 22, 2019
5:15 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.
Rooms 202/203
5:00 p.m. - Dinner
5:15 p.m. Social Media as a Public Record. (Public Information Officer Rusch)
5:35 p.m. Building Division Operations.
(Assistant Town Administrator Machalek & Director Hunt)
6:10 p.m. Discussion of Legal Services.
(Town Administrator Lancaster & Attorney White)
6:35 p.m. Trustee & Administrator Comments & Questions.
6:40 p.m. Future Study Session Agenda Items.
(Board Discussion)
6:45 p.m. Adjourn for Town Board Meeting.
Informal discussion among Trustees concerning agenda items or other Town matters may occur before this
meeting at approximately 5:00 p.m.
AGENDA
TOWN BOARD
STUDY SESSION
2
ADMINISTRATION Report
To: Honorable Mayor Jirsa
Board of Trustees
Through: Town Administrator Lancaster
From: Kate Rusch, Public Information Officer
Date: January 22, 2019
RE: Social Media as a Public Record.
Objective:
To provide the board with an overview of the Town’s use of social media and the recent
implementation of archiving services to preserve posts as public records. To provide a
reminder that the general principles also apply to elected/appointed representatives
using social media to discuss Town matters.
Present Situation:
The Town operates social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, with use
governed by a social media policy first adopted in 2013. Accounts are operated by
Administration (4), Police (2), the Museum (1) and Events (5). These accounts
produced more than 5,300 records in 2018, including original posts and
comments/questions from the public.
The Town manages public records per the Colorado Open Records Act and the
adopted Colorado Municipal Records Retention Schedule, which do not specifically
identify social media as a record. However, social media is similar to email and other
electronic records. The ambiguity is a discussion between the Colorado Municipal
Clerks Association and the State Archivist. Meanwhile, many municipalities are already
retaining posts.
After consulting with Attorney White, the Town began archiving in December, 2018,
keeping social media posts for a period of one rolling year. Using the Archive Social
platform, staff are able to capture posts and comments, including those deleted or
edited by the public or staff. Internally, staff can use this archive to respond to future
open records requests and for research and reporting purposes.
As a reminder, whether using an account set up for personal or Town purposes, elected
and appointed representatives of the Town who discuss Town matters on social media
are responsible for information they post and may be asked by the public for records of
posts.
Level of Public Interest: 3
The known level of public interest in this item is low.
Attachments:
None
4
CMLCOtORADOMUNICIPALLEACUEKI4OWLEDGESocialMedia,September2018_______EmpoweredCitiesandtowns,unitedforastrongColoradoTheKnowledgeNowseriesfeaturnspracticalresearchontimelytopicsfromtheColoradoMunicipalLeague.CHALLENGESFORELECTEDOFFICIALSONSOCIALMEDIAByDebbieWilmot,LafayettepublicinformationofficerTRANSPARENCY,CITIZENengagement,freedomofspeech.andelectedofficials.Cantheyallexistharmoniouslyonsocialmedia?Theshortanswerisyes,butthedevilisinthedetail.Electedofficialsarevoyagingthroughunchartedwatersinthisageofsocialmedia.FacebookandTwitterhavecoloredourworldofpublicengagementruleswithsubtlegrayundertones.Whilesomelegalclarityisbeginningtosurface,caselawisstillevolving.Whenfeelinguncertainonhowtoproceedonsocialmedia,agoodruleofthumbistotreattheseplatformsasyouwouldapublicmeeting.Separateyouraccounts:Ifyoufollownootherguidance,thisadvicewillpreventmanyhoursofattorneyanxiety.Createaseparateaccountforyour“officialelectedposition”andusethatprofiletodiscussyourcityortownbusiness.Refrainfromengaginginanymunicipalbusinessonyourpersonal/privatesocialplatforms.Currentcourtcasesinvolvingelectedofficialstypicallystemfromtheirassumptionthataprivateaccountisprivate.However,whenyouIntroduceofficialbusinessIntoaprivateFacebookorTwitteraccount,itnolongerpassesthestraightfacetest.Firstamendmentprotection:Ifacitizenexpressesanopinionyoudisagreewithduringpubliccomment.youdonotcutthemoffandejectthemfromcouncilchambers.Thesameholdstrueforyoursocialmediaplatforms,Donotblockfollowersordeleteopposingcommentsfromyour“electedofficial”accountasthecourtshavedeterminedtheseptatformsaredesignatedpublicforumsthatprotectfreespeech.Youcandefinepostingpoliciesonyourpageandnotifyparticipantsthatobscene,racist,oroff-topiccommentswillnotbetolerated.Justknowthesecategoriescanbesubjective,andarenotafail-proofcovertoallowyoutoremovecommentsyoudeemoffensive.councilmembersareparticipating.TheunansweredquestionInthisexampleiswhetheryouarealreadypartytothatconversationsimplybywatchingItoccur.Avoidopenforumswhereyouarenotaprimaryadministratorormoderator.Inotherwords,converseonyour“electedofficial”Facebookfeed,butdonotriskapotentialinfractionbyoininganopendiscussionforumwhereyourfellowelectedofficialsmayalsobecommenting.Ina60-secondtimeperiod,973,000userslogintoFacebookand481,000tweetsaresent.Aselectedofficialscontinuetoembracethesegrowingcommunicationtools,itisimportantforcitiesandtownstoadoptsocialmediapoliciestosupporttransparencyandsafeguardFromuninlendedlegalissues.Thefollowingarticlesprovidemorelegalandpracticalrecommendationsthroughexamplescenarios,engagementprotocoltools,andothervaluablesuggestionsforeffectivelyhandlingyoursocialmedia.Openmeetingslaw:Thelinesofelectedofficialparticipationinpublicforumscanbecomealittleblurred.Youwouldnevermeetwithmorethanoneofyourfellowcouncilmembersortrusteestodiscusscityortownbusiness,soitfollowsthatyoushouldnotpostonaconversationthreadwhereotherKNOWLEOGENOW
SOCIALMEDIAUSEBYELECTEDOFFICIALS:SOMELEGALISSUESByTamiTanoue,CIRSAexecutivedirectorSOCIALMEDIAENGAGEMENTHASbecomearegularpadoflife.Onadailybasis,wecheckouremailsandtexts.andthenprobablygoontocheckourfavoritesocialmediasites,suchasFacebook,Instagram,Snapchat,Twitter,andothers.Soillsnowonderthatelectedofficials,too,haveintegratedsocialmediaintotheirpubliclives.Butifyouareanelectedofficial,youshouldknowthat,becauseofthepowersandresponsibi!itiesconferredonyoubyvirtueofyourposition,yoursocialmediausehassomelegaldimensionsthatmaynotapplytotherestofus.Thisarticleexploresafewofthem.OpenMeetingsLawAscenario:YouhaveaFacebaokpageforyourselfunderthecategoryof“Politician.”Youpastinformationaboutcityortownhappeningsandresources,andwelcomeotherstopostthereaswell.Oneday,youpostonacontroversialtopicthatthecouncilwillcoonbetackling,andtwoofyourfellowcouncilmembersgetwind.Allthreeofyougobackandforthonthepostaboutyourrespectiveviews.Isthisa“meeting’withinthemeaningoftheColoradoOpenMeetingsLaw(COML)?Well,itseemsatleastarguablethatitisl“Meeting”isdefinedinCR5.Section24-6-402(1)(b)as“anykindofgathering,convenedtodiscusspublicbusiness,inperson,bytelephone,electronically,orbyothermeansofcommunication.”Threeormoremembersofthelocalpublicbody(oraquorum,whicheverisless)insuchagatheringwilltriggerthenoticeand“opentothepublic”requirementsoftheCOML.Howdoyoucomplywiththe24-hour“timely”postingrequirementintheCOMLwhenyouarepostingonFacebook?Howdoyoumeettheopentothepublic”requirement?Whydoesthisarticleraisealotofquestionsforwhichthereisnotadearanswer?Butyouseethepoint—discussionsofpublicbusinessbytherequisitenumberofgoverningbodymemberscancertainlytakeplaceinanelectronicfocvm,andthenthesequestions(andothers)maycomeintoplay.OpenRecordsActstartdeletingsomeoftheparticularlydisagreeablecomments,andultimatelydecidethatthebetterpartofvaloristoJustdeletethewholedarnpost.Arethepost,andthecomments,considered“publicrecords’withinthemeaningoftheColoradoOpenRecordsAct(CORA)?Again,itseemsatleastarguablethattheyare!Theterm“publicrecords”isdefinedtoinclude“thecorrespondenceofelectedofficials,”subjecttocertainexceptions,underCR5.Section24-72-202(6).PublicrecordsareopenforpublicinspectionandcopyingunderCR5.Section24-72-203.Yourmunicipalityhasmostlikelyadoptedarecordsretentionanddestructionschedulethatgovernshowlongvariousdocuments,includingelectronicdocuments,mustbemaintainedpriortodestruction.So,couldsomeonerequestacopyofapostthatwasonyourFacebookpageunderCORA?Whatifyoudeletedthepost?Istherearecordretentionschedulethatapplied?Wasthatscheduleviolatedwhenyoudeletedthepost?Moreofthoseinfernalquestionsforwhichthereisnotaclearanswer,butyougetthepoint!IfthereisachancethatthepostsaresubjecttoCORA,thenitmightbesmarttoAscenario:YoupostaboutanupcomingagendaitemontheFacebookpagefeaturedinthepreviousscenario.Forsomemason.thediscussiononthepoststartstogocompletelysideways,withlotsofnegativecomments,andsomeuncalled-formemesandphotos.Youtoleratetherepliesyougetonyour‘in•a:”‘a2COLORADOMUNICIPALLEAGUE
post.Alternatively,makesureyouhavesomepostingrulesinplacesothateveryoneknowsupfrontyourexpectationsforyourpage.Perhapssomethingalongtheselinescouldbeincludedinthe“About’sectionofyourpage:Thisisapagewhereideasandinformationaboutourcommunityarewelcome,buttheyshouldbesharedinarespectfulmanner.Commentsthatcontainvulgarlanguage,personalattacksofanykind,oroffensivecommentsthatdisparageordiscriminateonthebasisofprotectedclassessuchasrace,color,age,ancestry,religion,nationalorigin,gender,militarystatus,sexualorientation,ordisability,willbedeleted.Commentswillalsobedeletediftheyare:(i)spamorincludelinkstoothersitesnotrelevanttoourcommunity;(ii)clearlyofftopic;(iii)advocateillegalactivity:(iv)promoteparticularsep/icesorproducts;(v)infringeoncopyrightsortrademarks(vi)containnudityinprofilepictures!or(vii)areviolativeofanylocal,state,orfederallawsand/orareotherwiseunlawful.Multipleviolationsofthispolicymayresultinabanfromthispage.Let’salterthesituationabittofurtherconfoundthesituation.Let’ssaythat,whenyousetupyourFacebookpage,youchosethe“governmentorganization”categoryratherthanthe“politician”category.Furthermore,youdecidedto“borrow”thecityortown’sofficiallogotouseasyourprofilepicture.IsitpossiblethatthesechoiceswouldstrengthentheargumentthatthepostsonthepagearesubjecttolawslikeCORA?Itispossible!Socheckandseehowyouhavesetupyourpage.Ifyouareanindividualelectedofficial,itseemsinaccuratetousethe“governmentorganization’category.Anddonot“borrow”thecityortownlogoforyourownpurposes!Quasi-judicialRulesofEngagementAscenario:Asite-specificlanduseapplicationisscheduledtobeconsideredbytheplanningcommissiononenupcomingagenda,withthecommission’srecommendationtobereferredtothecouncilforfinalactionatalaterdate.Youconsidertheproposedusetobeanextremelycontroversialone.Butyouareworriedthatitisabit‘undertheradar,”whatwithsummervacations,holidays,andall.Ofcourse,propernoticehasbeengivenbytheplanningdepartment,butyouamstillconcernedthattheproposalmaygetafavorablerecommendationfromthecommissionwithoutanycitizentestimonyYoudecidetopostthisonyourFacebookpage:“CitizenspleasereadthisIMPORTANTNOTICE!Youneedtoknowthattheplanningcommissionisgoingtobeconsideringaproposalforatitsupcomingmeetingonat7p.m.Asacouncilmember,lamtakingnopositionontheproposalatthistime.Butifyoucareaboutourcommunity’sfuture,thenyouwillwanttoattendthisveryimportanthearingbeforetheplanningcommission.”Seeanyproblemshere?Youhavecertainlystatedthatyouare‘takingnoposition”atthistime,butitmayappeartoothers,particularlytheapplicant,thatyouareopposedtotheproposalandaretryingto“ginup’oppositiontoit.Isthatcongruentwiththe“neutraldecision-maker”rolethatyouwillneedtotakeononcethisquasi-judicialproposalgoesuptothecouncil?Couldtheapplicanttakethepositionthatitlookslikeyoumadeupyourmind,withoutevidence,longbeforethecouncilhearing,andtherefore,youshouldberecusedfromparticipation?“But,allIamdoingismakingsurethepublicknowsaboutthisproposal,’youprotest.Well,doyoudothatwitheveryproposalthatcomesbeforetheplanningcommission,ordidyoujusthappentopickoutthisonefortheFacebookspotlight?Theessenceofprocedural“dueprocess”rightsthatattachtoaquasi-judicialmatterisnoticeandafairhearingbeforeneutral,impartialdecision-makers.Youcanseehow,evenifyourintentionsmayhavebeenhonorable,youcaneasilycastdoubtsonyourimpartialityandneutralitywithapostlikethis.Let’sconfoundourselvesalittlemore.Afteryoupostthis‘importantnotice,”citizensstartcommenting.Theflavorofthecommentsiscapturedby:Coundilmember,THANKYOU!Iamoutragedbythisproposal,andcannotbelievethattheplanningcommissionisevenconsideringit!!!Themisoneofthesedevelopmentsinthetownnextdoor.Ithasbecomenothingbutahavenforcriminals.Iftheyahoosontheplanningcommissionrecommendapproval.thenIsurehopeIcancountonyoutodotherigUtthingonthecouncilandVOTENO!!!!!Carriedawayinthemoment,youreply:‘Youcancountonme!’Uh-oh!Didyoujustrevealthatyouarenotexactlygoingtobeaneutraldecision-makeronthistopic?Moreover,didyoujustleaveabreadcrumbtrailthatyouhavehadan‘exparte’or‘outsidethehearing”contactonthismatter?And,maybe,didyourevealthatyourvoteisgoingtobebasedonfactorsotherthanthecriteriathatyourlandusecodewillrequireyoutoconsider?Yes,indeed,thisscenariocouldbeawinningtrifectaofquasi-judicial‘don’ts.”Youcanbetthatsomeoneistakingascreenshotofthethreadandsavingitforfutureuseagainstyou!Andlet’ssayallofyourcolleaguesonthecouncilsawsimilarpostsontheirrespectivepages.Amajorityvotes‘no’ontheproposalonthebasisofthepotentialforcriminalactivity(andseveralofyousaysowhenyou“explainyourvote’).ButtherewasabsolutelynoevidenceaboutthisintherecordofthehearingbeforetheKNOWLEDGENOW3
council.Illscertainlypossiblethatthedecisionwouldbevulnerabletobeingoverturned,uponjudicialreview,becausethereisnoevidentiarysupportforthebasisofyourdecision.Ormaybeyoudidnotexplainyourvote’afterthehearing.Butafterwards,youwriteascathingpostcriticizingtheidiotswhovoted‘yes’:Acoupleofmyso-calledcolleaguesseemtobesidingwiththecriminalelementinourcommunityCitizensneedtoknowthatCouncilmembersSmithandJonesvoted“yes”ontheproposal.Infact,theyhadthenervetonotethattherewasnoevidenceofcriminalactivitybeingassociatedwiththisdevelopment.Areyoukiddingme???’Socialmedia“snipes”atyourcolleaguesonlymakeyoulookbad.Letyourvotespeakforitself,donottrytoexplainlestyourevealanimproperbasisforyourdecision,andcertainlydonotbad-mouththevotesofyourcolleagues.Andwhataboutthepoorplanningcommissionerswhomayhavewanderedintoyourpost?Aretheygoingtoreaditandwonderwhyyouseemtobejumpingintothematterearlyandnullifyingtheirresponsibilities?Itcertainlymaylookthatwaytothem.Thereisatimeandplacewhenyourbody,thecityortowncouncil,willtakeupthematter.JumpinginfrontoftheplanningcommissionmakesItlooklikeyoutrustneitherthecommissionnortheprocessthatyourownlandusecodehasestablished.ConclusionSocialmediausebyelectedofficialsimplicatesnewandevolvinglegalissues,andthisarticleonlytouchesuponafewofthem.Theuncertaintyisreal!Butyoucanavoiduncertaintyandstayonsolidgroundifyoufollowthesesuggestions:Considerwhetheryoureallyneedtobeonsocialmediainyourelectedofficialcapacity.Itonly23peoplelike’yourpage,itmaynotbeworththehassle.Andkeepinmindthatonlyafractionofthose23peoplemayevenbeseeingyourposts.-IfyoufeelthattheuseofsocialmediaIsanetplusand/oraservicetoyourconstituents,beextremelycarefulaboutwhatisposted!Stayawayfromdiscussionsofitemsthatwillbeorcouldbeonyourgoverningbody’sagenda.Thereisatimeandplacefordiscussionofthoseitems,andit’smostlikelynotsocialmedia.Sticktopublicserviceannouncements,photosandpostsaboutthingsyoudid(‘ItwasgreattomeetsomanyofyouwhenIvolunteeredatCityCleanupDaylastweek’),upcomingeventssuchas‘TownHalls,’re-postsofmunicipalnewsletters,linkstoarticlesthattoutyourgreatcityortown,andthelike,Ifyouarecarefulaboutwhatyoupost,youarenotgoingtohavetoconfronttheuncertaintiesofCOML,CORA,andotherlaws.Ifyoustickwithhelpfulbutnoncontroversialposts,thentherewillnotbemuchofaneedtodeleteposts.Butitisstillprudenttohaveapostingpolicyonyour“about’pagealongthelinesoftheexampleabove.•Beparticularlycarefultostayawayfromcommentingonapendingquasi-judicialmatter.Thisiswherethestakesarehighest!Inaworstcasescenario,animprudentpostcouldrequireyourrecusalfromparticipatinginthemaileronthebasisthatyouhaverevealedyournon-neutrality,buttresssomeone’sconstitutionalclaim,serveasabasistoattackthebody’sdecision,oralloftheabove.Checktomakesureyoucreatedyourpageundertherightcategory.‘Politician’ismoreaccuratethan“GovernmentalOrganization.’Anddonotusetheofficialcityortownlogo,toavoidanyimplicationthatyoursisan“official’municipalpage.TamiTanouehasbeenin-housewithCIRSAsince2002,servingasgeneralcounsel/deputyexecutivedirectoruntilAugust2018,whenshewasappointedexecutivedirector.ShewaspreviouslyinprivatepracticewiththeruinofGritfithsTanoueLightHarrington&Dawes,wheresheservedCIRSAasitscontractgeneralcounselfor12years,andwascityortownattorneyforseveralColoradomunicipalities.Priortothat,shewasstaffattorneyfortheColoradoMunicipalLeague,wheresherepresentedthecollectiveinterestsofColoradomunicipalities.Tanoueisaregularspeakeronlocalgovernmentliabilitytopics,andhaswrittenseveralpublicationsonliabilityissues.4COLORADOMUNICIPALLEAGUE
THERIGHTWAYFORELECTEDOFFICIALSTODOSOCIALMEDIAByWebbStrategicCommunicationsIFYOUPAYMUCHATTENTIONTOthefloodoftweetsandongoingdialogueonthenationalscene,youwillunderstandthatwecurrentlyarewatchingalivecasestudyofhowelectedofficialsshouldnotengageonsocialmedia.Maybethathasignitedsomeconcernaboutwhatyoushoulddotoengageandinformconstituents.Youunderstandthatsocialmediaareeffectivetoolsforprovidingconvenient,immediatecommunicationtoresidents,andforcivicallyengagingyoungerresidents.Ontheotherhand,youareshortonstaffandtimeandknowthatsocialmediacanunintentionallyleadtoacommunicationfirestorm.Ifconcernssuchastheseleaveyoufeelingpetrified,herearesometipstogetyoumovingagain;ListenItisnotalwayspossibletohearfromconstituentsthroughtraditionaloutreach,suchastownhallsordirectcalls.However,throughsocialmedia,youhavethespecialabilitytolisten-inonwhatreallymatterstoyourresidents.DedicatetimeeachweektofollowingconversationsonFacebookandTwitterthatarerelevanttoyourmunicipality.ResearchandmonitorrelevanthashtagsforyourmunicipalityandyourneighborsaswellasforspecialissuesthatimpactColoradogovernments(forexample;#Ouray,#MontroseCounty,#WesternStope,#boxcanyon,#RedMtPass,and#ButtermilkFire).EnpgenentProtocolsSocialmediaaffordconstituentstheopportunitytogripewithminimalconsequences,andcertainlyanonymously.YetItIsyourresponsibilitytomaintainapositiveoutlook.Askyourmunicipality’sclerkorpublicinformationofficer(PlO)aboutyourmunicipality’spoliciesregardingsocialmediaresponse.IIapolicydoesnotalreadyexist,thefollowingareengagementprotocolssuggestedbyWebbStrategic:Respond:Messagesaskingapertinentquestionthatifansweredwouldprovidehelpfulinformationtoothers;commentsthatarecriticalbutpolite;commentsthatcontainoutrightmistruthsandinaccurateinformation;positiveorconstructivecomments(optional).LetStand:Positiveorconstructivecomments(optional);commentsthatarecriticalbutdonotseekananswer(venting);follow-upquestions!messagesfromaspecificuserwhohasrecentlybeenengaged.Oeleteiblock:Messagescontainingprofanity,threats,orinappropriatecontent.CurateCredibleSourcesNoonewantstoperpetuatemisinformation,yetithappensonaregularbasisbecausewhenyouareinatimecrunch—youForgettoreferencesourcesorverifyinformation.OnewaytoreducethepossibilityofrepostingofpreferredsourcesonFacebookandTwitter:OnFacebook,gotothepageofthecrediblesourceyouwanttoaddtoyourlist.Findthe“Follow”buttonunderthecoverimageandclick;adrop-downmenuwillappear.Checkthe“FollowFirst’option.Whenyoureturntoyournewsfeed,anycontentthatthissourcespostwillappearfirst,makingiteasytoshareandaddcomments.‘OnTwitter,createa‘List.”First,gotothepageorthecrediblesourceandclickthe“Follow”buttononthetopright-handside.Nexttothefollowbutton,clickonthethreedotsforthedrop-downmenuandselect‘AddorremovefromlistsSelecttreateList”andtitleit“CredibleSources.”Webbrecommendsmakingthislistprivate.Toaccessthislistlater.clickonyour‘ProfileandSettings’button.(Thisistheroundimageofyourprofilepictureonthetopright-handsideoftheTwitterbrowser.)Inthedropdownmenu.select“Lists”thenselectyour“CredibleSources’list.ThiswillcurateanindividualizedfeedofcontenttoRetweet.Bonustip:Mistakesareinevitableonsocialmedia.Whenyoudopostwronginformation,itisbesttoquicklyadmittoyourmistakeandcorrecttheinformationjustraisecontentisbycuratingalistofasquickly.Whenyoufollowthiscrediblesourcesbeforeyoupost.Usebestpractice,peoplearelikelytothefollowinginstructionstocreatelistsmoveon.flc,.Rule9;teI,:t::tt,l‘.,f:‘:.:HOOIrnJSF0RECASTjqtheI____‘—“—I.__KNOWLEDGENOW5
[ShareonYourtimelineCautionaryTaleofNextdoorconsuItaionandresourcecentraorgRepastOfficialCommunicationsfromYourMunicipality’sPageWhenyouarecreating“CredibleSources”lists,besuretoaddyourmunicipality’spages.Anypostregardingyourmunicipality’sofficialstanceonanissueshouldbereposteddirectlyfromthatpage.YourclerkorPlOhasworkeddiligentlytodraftstrategiclanguage.ItIsimportantthatyoudonotaddyourownflairtothemessage!Repostofficialcommunicationwithoutadditionalcommentary.PinContactInformationConstituentsexpecttogetimmediatehelpwhentheymakearequestviasocialmedia.Ifyoudonothavethetimeorresourcestomonitoryoursocialmediachannelsregularly,365daysayear,makesureconstituentsknowwheretheycangetimmediatehelp.“Pin”apostcontainingyourmunicipality’shelplinephonenumberoremailaddressandletresidentsknowthatiftheyneedimmediatehelp,theyshoulddirecttheirinquiriestothesecommunicationchannels,Topin”content,selectthemenubuttononthetopright-handsideofthepost(ThislookslikethreedotsonFacebookandadownwardfacingcarrotonTwitter)andselectthe“pinpost”option.YoucanborrowthefollowinglanguagefromWebbStrategicforyourpost:Ifyouneedimmediateassistance,pleasedirectyourconcernstooneofthefollowingconstituenthelpchannels:•(Phone)•(Email)AsvaluableasNextdoormaybeincommunicatingwithneighborhoods,postingsbyresidentscanleadtoanenormousdrainonyourtime.Likeallsocialmedia,Nextdoorprovidesanopportunity(orthe“pileon”effect:Apostaboutonetopiccanquicklyveerintoaseeminglyendlesschainofquestionsandcritiquesaboutallmannerofthings.Misinformedorjustplainuntruthfulcommentsstirupreadersandpromptevenmoreresponses.Thoughtfullyaddressingeachreplyorcommentcanrequiremoreeffortandtimethanyoucanreasonablygive,andforeveryanswerprovided,therewilllikelybeadditionalquestionsposed.Includinganemailand/orphonecontactinyourpost,andthenclosingthediscussioncandirectconstituentstotheintakepointsyourmunicipalityalreadyhasinplace.RespondingquicklyandaffirmativelytoerroneousNextdoorpostingsisthebestpractice.I‘E’;eitt1.Srnessage’.rII:Fe3Cnap:rs’—lJ’CreOC95.P1GetAnswersAboutVourWaterSystem‘,Van:ancxQrtur::caqestersarcgetSfl!viiibolearo?srCu;::r,d;:u;soncc;;icrgevel:isanp:ci:inss;teatnandaskquSystEntra:de11,arC>€ihc,’,thatCOfl€C9fl‘eres’ed’ndfl3d‘ertmessagehflonN’s,Pleaser.cit;deSreI’sjazdr,’;,ineie‘cfl53/ft.WebbStrategicCommunications,locatedinDenver,hasbeenofferingcommunicationsupporttogovernmententitiesfor30yearsandspecializesinmediarelations,socialmarketing,digital,crisis,andLatinocommunications,VdIncludeOriginalPosta.TownofEaton,CO0BothoftheTown’swaterconservationprogramsstillhaveavailabilityIfyouwouldliketolearnmoreabouthowyoucansavemoneyandwaterpleasegotoresourcecentraorgslow-thoutdoor-sprinkler-gardenstolearnmoreLikePageOzoneAware-SimpleStepsBetterAirL!ritoYPofPageOzoneActionAlert-TueAug14that4P1,1througEdtPost15thChangeDateEmbed‘Civicfl;4J5;ItnWhatwouldyoudowththeextrahouryougainontIbehindthewheelintraffic?BetterAr•Seemoreoptionsr’‘Hidefromtimeline6COLORADOMUNICIPALLEAGUE
council.Itiscertainlypossiblethatthedecisionwouldbevulnerabletobeingoverturned,uponjudicialreview,becausethereisnoevidentiarysupportforthebasisofyourdecision.Ormaybeyoudidnotexplainyourvote’afterthehearing.Butafterwards,youwriteascathingpostcriticizingtheidiotswhovoted“yes’:Acoupleofmyso-calledcolleaguesseemtobesidingwiththecriminalelementinourcommunityCitizensneedtoknowthatCouncilmembersSmithandJonesvoted“yes’ontheproposal.Infact,theyhadthenervetonotethatthemwasnoevidenceofcriminalactivitybeingassociatedwiththisdevelopment.Areyoukiddingme???’Socialmedia“snipes’atyourcolleaguesonlymakeyoulookbad.Letyourvotespeakforitself,donottrytoexplainlestyourevealanimproperbasisforyourdecision,andcertainlydonotbad-mouththevotesofyourcolleagues.AndwhataboutthepoorplanningFcommissionerswhomayhavewanderedIntoyourpost?AretheygoingtoreadItandwonderwhyyouseemtobejumpingintothematterearlyandnullifyingtheirresponsibilities?Itcertainlymaylookthatwaytothem.Thereisatimeandplacewhenyourbody,thecityortowncouncil,willtakeupthematter.Jumpinginfrontoftheplanningcommissionmakesitlooklikeyoutrustneitherthecommissionnortheprocessthatyourownlandusecodehasestablished,ConclusionSocialmediausebyelectedofficialsimplicatesnewandevolvinglegalissues,andthisarticleonlytouchesuponafewofthem.TheuncertaintyismallButyoucanavoiduncertaintyandstayonsolidgroundifyoufollowthesesuggestions:Considerwhetheryoureallyneedtobeonsocialmediainyourelectedofficialcapacity.Ifonly23people“like’yourpage,Itmaynotbeworththehassle.Andkeepinmindthatonlyafractionofthose23peoplemayevenbeseeingyourposts.•IfyoufeelthattheuseofsocialmediaIsanetplusandioraservicetoyourconstituents,beextremelycarefulaboutwhatisposted?Stayawayfromdiscussionsofitemsthatwillbeorcouldbeonyourgoverningbody’sagenda.Thereisatimeandplacefordiscussionofthoseitems.andit’smostlikelynotsocialmedia,Sticktopublicserviceannouncements,photosandpostsaboutthingsyoudid(itwasgreattomeetsomanyofyouwhenIvolunteeredatCityCleanupDaylastweek’),upcomingeventssuchas7ownHalls,’re-postsofmunicipalnewsletters,linkstoarticlesthattoutyourgreatcityortown,andthelike.Ifyouarecarefulaboutwhatyoupost,youarenotgoingtohavetoconfronttheuncertaintiesofCOML,CORA,andotherlaws,•Ifyoustickwithhelpfulbutnoncontroversialposts,thentherewillnotbemuchofaneedtodeleteposts.Butitisstillprudenttohaveapostingpolicyonyourabout’pagealongthelinesoftheexampleabove.Beparticularlycarefultostayawayfromcommentingonapendingquasi-judicialmatter.Thisiswherethestakesarehighest!Inaworstcasescenario,animprudentpostcouldrequireyourrecusalfromparticipatinginthematteronthebasisthatyouhaverevealedyournon-neutrality,buttresssomeonesconstitutionalclaim,serveasabasistoattackthebody’sdecision,oralloftheabove.•Checktomakesureyoucreatedyourpageundertherightcategory.PoliUcianismoreaccuratethanGovemmentalOrganization.’Anddonotusetheofficialcityortownlogo,toavoidanyimplicationthatyoursisan‘official’municipalpage.TamiTanouehasbeenin-housewithCIRSAsince2002,servingasgeneralcounsel/deputyexecutivedirectoruntilAugust2018,whenshewasappointedexecutivedirector,ShewaspreviouslyinprivatepracticewiththefinnofGriffithsTanoueLightHarrington&Davies,wheresheservedCIRSAasitscontractgeneralcounselfor12years,andwascityortownattorneyforseveralColoradomunicipalities.PrIortothat,shewasstaffattorneyfortheColoradoMunicipalLeague,wheresherepresentedthecollectiveinterestsofColoradomunicipalities.Tanoueisaregularspeakeronlocalgovernmentliabilitytopics,andhaswrittenseveralpublicationsonliabilityissues.4COLORADOMuNICIPAl.LEAGUE
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Report
To: Honorable Mayor Jirsa
Board of Trustees
Through: Town Administrator Lancaster
From: Randy Hunt, Community Development Director
Travis Machalek, Assistant Town Administrator
Date: January 22, 2019
RE: Building Division Operations
Objective:
Present steps and tentative timeline for Building Division Operations evaluation and
process improvement for Town Board feedback.
Present Situation:
The Board has expressed concerns with the operations of the Building Division as it
relates to permit processing times. Staff has developed a plan to address these
concerns.
Proposal:
Staff proposes a systemic and deliberate process to improve areas of concern in the
Building Division. This process will take place over the first two quarters of 2019
(January – June), with a report back to the Board in July. The process will consist of
setting performance standards, establishing metrics to measure performance on those
standards, and utilizing a third-party consultant to evaluate our standards, vet our
metrics, and aid in the implementation of process improvements.
As a parallel to this internal effort, staff would like to formalize a relationship with a
Building Advisory Group to participate in this process and provide feedback and input. A
number of members of the development community have expressed an interest in
participating in such a group.
Initial Performance Standards
•First Review Processing Time Standards (based on complete submittal)
o Over the Counter Applications: 1 working day
o Residential New Dwellings: 10 working days
o Residential Additions/Remodels: 10 working days
o Minor Commercial Remodels: 10 working days
o Major Commercial Remodels: 20 working days
o Commercial New Construction: 20 working days
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Initial Metrics
Staff proposes to begin tracking the following performance metrics on an ongoing basis
in the Building Division (metrics will be reported on a quarterly basis):
•Residential Plan Review
o Average Number of Days to “Ready to Issue”
o Time to Complete First Round Review
Time for applicants to respond with modified plan set
o Time to Complete Second Round Review
Time for applicants to respond with modified plan set
o Time to Complete Third Round Review
Time for applicants to respond with modified plan set
o Approval/Denial Rate across First, Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Round
Reviews
o Time from plan approval to preparation of permit documents
o Time from completion of permit documents to pickup and payment
•Commercial Plan Review
o Average Number of Days to “Ready to Issue”
o Time to Complete First Round Review
Time for applicants to respond with modified plan set
o Time to Complete Second Round Review
Time for applicants to respond with modified plan set
o Time to Complete Third Round Review
Time for applicants to respond with modified plan set
o Approval/Denial Rate across First, Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Round
Reviews
o Time from plan approval to preparation of permit documents
o Time from completion of permit documents to pickup and payment
•Inspections
o Percent of inspections done next day for calls received by 4:00 pm
previous workday
•Customer Survey Results
o % of customers satisfied
Timeline
•January
o Agree on initial performance standards and metrics to be used
o Begin tracking all data necessary to report on metrics
o Execute contract with third-party consulting firm to evaluate standards,
metrics, and processes as well as provide additional plan review capacity
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•February - April
o Work with consultant to:
Identify and prioritize process improvements in conjunction with
consultant
Refine implementation timeline with details on Laserfiche
dependencies
•March – June
o Implement priority process improvements
o Acquire and implement Laserfiche hardware, software and processes
•July
o Report to Town Board on progress and performance to date
•October
o Report to Town Board on progress and performance to date
Advantages:
•Identifying measurements and establishing performance standards will enable
the Board, the community, and staff to share an understanding of the Building
Division’s performance and direct attention to process that can be improved.
•A third-party consultant will be able to leverage knowledge of many different
Building Divisions to help staff address performance barriers.
Disadvantages:
•None
Action Recommended:
•Provide feedback to staff on initial performance standards, initial metrics, and
process outlined above
Finance/Resource Impact:
Estimate to be provided on Jan. 22
Level of Public Interest
High – There is a great deal of interest in this topic from the development community.
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2018-TOTALSBYINSPECTIONTYPETOTALSBYMONThINSPECTIONTYPEMONTH.1TtTAJ.IMPtCflOtJanuary4453SftuIyao.•-;I1S4Mardi1a’::415Awl-I2C.313May23395June22-
-39?July-20490A4uut-23394Sepcember10249OctOber21236November20399December20232TOtAL2504342JANFEBMARCHAPRILMAYJUNEJULYAUGSEPTOCTNOVDECTOTALS24S7S910‘I13I)1415161718192021AVERAGEMDr,tHtoDAtEAveragepercayColumnlColumniCoOiin3Cokarnn4ColumnsColumnsColumn?Column!Colwm,9CobmolOCokeonllCdumnlzCoksrnnlaCoIt.nnlCUSC84611019093861311095618094431032IRC.PhM,tlmIU323024223262292073021331IRC.Med,anlal252933243025503515144223349IRC-Ga302733252034553419134221311INC.Ee.erjyCoru.natloei1214171011141112136171151IRC.Bectrlcj5423717151174213216133PC141411721413144211113‘MC2881718416104234110-IFGC1596534S139323393BC7330453053462329891310370EPMC1058970494156444141253927526EVOC55429S40100035IEBC40310000200012ANSI-117.158425355231143NEC20111545I03026NFPAI31000524252412114122163NFPA7Z302430332027253512113521290NFPASS000090100000IDNFPAI700000.17021000CR50000000000000FLOODPLAIN0000“;o.30000000oside,tialCodePlumbin;CodeMechanicalCodePj1dingCodeFuelGasCodeMt.iop&CodeOeveLpenenlCodeFirePro:eclionCORevisedSIal2IesFloodplainEx:s:ingBiogCode(VH)SVALUE!2018BUILDINGINSPECTIONS271?11311344393626Is1250134312Averageperday=20.68250434220.676193453000-(LnZ25000I20000.U,a—1500U01000D500a03942492363992324342atieIU1‘4P4PC,4Oy.‘4’ci,335JawI<>—12-Sccc,:.a‘-tb‘‘4.0e.%,\q,%%\\4TYPEOFINSPECTION
Pro-FormaAttorneyestimatedcostsinhou5eCurrent(2018)PersonnelAdminServices$110,000TownAttorney$140,000Finance$500LegalCoordinator$55,000Planning$34000benefits$78,000Building$2,000$273,000VC$200OperatingEvents$8,000officesupplies$PD$4,000professional5ervices*$Engineering$5,000books/periodicals$L&P$25,000postage$Water$25,000duesandmemberships$______________________________3,00020,0004,0002002,000professionaldevelopment$6,500utilities$1,200rent$-IT$11,000Equipmentcontracts$6,000$53,900onetimeFFE$20,000Total(ongoing)$320,900ifoutsideeaseneededthen5650/mDnthTotal$213,700(lineitem22-08in2018budget)*Assumesdepartmentspayformostspecializedlegalneeds(eg:broadband,water,planning)ContractratehoursTotalAttorney2001670.4$334,0808D%oiFtprofessionalservices*$20,000Total$354,080
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February 12, 2019
•Presentation and Discussion of a
Complete Streets Policy
•Stanley Park Master Plan
•2019 Street Improvement Plan
February 26, 2019
•EPIC Update
•Stormwater Management Program
& Utility
•E-Bike Policy
March 12, 2019
•Update on Film Center Plans
•Downtown Estes Loop Quarterly
Update
March 26, 2019
•Removing 500 Foot Limit for Liquor
Licenses
•“Open Space” Designations on
previous zoning maps
•Introduction to Water Rates Study
Process
June 11, 2019
•Downtown Estes Loop Quarterly
Update
September 10, 2019
•Downtown Estes Loop Quarterly
Update
Items Approved – Unscheduled:
•Estes Park Housing Authority
Project on Highway 7 – Part II
•Discussion with Town Prosecutor
•Review of County Wasteshed
Master Plan
•Parking Update/Seasonal Parking
Issues
Items for Town Board Consideration:
•Sunset Review for the Family
Advisory Board
Future Town Board Study Session Agenda Items
January 22, 2019
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