2016-03-03 Committee on Citizen Engagement Minutes
COMMITTEE ON CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT MINUTES
March 3, 2016
After determining that a quorum was present, the Committee on Citizen Engagement convened in
a meeting on March 3, 2016 at 1:30 p.m. in the City Council Work Session Room at City Hall,
215 E. McKinney Street, Denton, Texas.
PRESENT: Mayor Pro Tem Dalton Gregory, Council Member Keely Briggs, and Council
Member Kevin Roden.
A. The Committee considered approval of the minutes for October 5, 2015.
Council Member Briggs motioned, Mayor Pro Tem Gregory seconded to approve the minutes.
The minutes were approved.
B. Receive a report, hold a discussion, and give staff direction regarding citizen engagement
programs.
Alison Ream, Administrative Services Manager, stated that the Council had asked for staff to look
for opportunities to engage citizens. Targeted outcomes included access to City Council and staff
in a fun, casual environment; connections between citizens and Council/staff that was not issue-
driven; a greater understanding of local government organization, structure, and services;
opportunities for feedback from citizens; and encourage more public involvement in the City.
Ream stated that the City Manager’s Office had identified opportunities to create two new
programs to engage citizens in their local government: a State of the City event and Denton Citizen
Academy.
She stated that the State of the City program was a city-wide event that shared information about
growth and development, capital improvements, budget information, and city-wide
accomplishments. It was an open house atmosphere where citizens could meet Council Members
and department staff, ask questions, get information about specific projects or programs, sign up
to volunteer, etc. They could screen a digital state of the city that could be shared on social media
and create opportunities for conversations after the actual event. She showed a clip of Gilbert,
Arizona’s State of the Town information on their website.
General consensus of the committee was that it was a good idea.
The second program was a Denton Citizen Academy. This involved professionally-led workshops
to give citizens an interactive experience in local government. Sessions would be a combination
of presentations, tours, and facilitated activities; and topics could include – public safety and
emergency management; growth and development; parks, recreation, and libraries; utilities,
streets, and solid waste; airport; sustainability; and Council-Manager form of government.
General consensus of the committee was that it was a good idea.
C. Hold a discussion and give staff direction regarding communications on road projects and
street closures.
Ream stated that the Street Department had a distribution list and provided weekly updates on
construction projects to citizens that had expressed an interest in receiving that information. She
showed the Committee some of the information available on the website – the list with street
Committee on Citizen Engagement Minutes
March 3, 2016
Page 2
construction projects and a projects list. She stated that the Public Communications Office was
developing a dedicated webpage for street construction information.
D. Management Report
a. Website Update
Ream stated that they were in the process of reviewing the RFP responses and doing interviews.
They planned on putting an item on an April agenda for approval of the contract.
E. New Business
Roden asked if anyone had any topics for discussion. Council Member Briggs asked if there was
some kind of education that could be put on the website like a video showing how to use a
crosswalk.
With no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 2:09 p.m.