Improving City Transparency

Recognizing the value of fostering a culture of openness, City leaders are dedicated to building citizen trust and confidence to promote civic engagement and citywide collaboration.

- Public Information Coordinator

The City approved a pivotal role within its staff aimed at bolstering information dissemination and fostering community engagement. The newly created position of Public Information Coordinator (PIC) is poised to uphold the twin pillars of accuracy and accessibility in information dissemination, while also serving as the liaison for media outlets to ensure timely and precise responses to inquiries. With the primary focus on the public, this role will encompass the coordination of website content, management of social media platforms, and community relations.

The PIC will harness the power of social media to augment transparency efforts. By disseminating timely updates on meetings, projects, decisions, and events, citizens will be empowered to receive information in real-time, enhancing the constraints of traditional communication channels, such as press releases and formal announcements. 

- NextRequest

The City of Jefferson introduced a public records management portal aimed at streamlining and standardizing the process of records requests responses. This platform, NextRequest, has a user-friendly interface and empowers City staff to address public records inquiries with efficiency, consolidating all requests within a unified system while documenting audit trails. Accessing NextRequest is conveniently facilitated through multiple entry points on the website. Visitors can navigate the Public Records Request link at the top of the page, on the City Clerk’s page, or via the ‘How Do I’ Request’ section. Individuals can also directly access the portal by visiting this link.

- Public Comment

The Administrative Committee reached a unanimous decision to enhance the council meeting agenda by prioritizing all public comments at the beginning of each session. This adjustment grants residents a four-minute window for them to voice their perspectives. While citizens are encouraged to sign-up for comment near the entrance of council chamber to facilitate an orderly progression of speakers, it is important to note that signing up is not mandatory. Regardless of signing up, attendees eager to contribute to the meeting will be welcomed to speak during this dedicated public comment segment at all City Council meetings.

- Open Gov

The City Council recently approved a contract with OpenGov, a modern budgeting software that features a user-friendly public interface that allows seamless interaction between City Hall and citizens. This investment entails the migration of our budgets and financial data to an innovative cloud-based system that will ensure real-time updates for citizens to access precise and up-to-date information regarding the City’s financials.

By embracing this technology, we are empowering our community with insights into the City’s budgetary processes and financial health.  This technology was brought forth by the proactive approach from our Finance department with unanimous approval from our City Council on March 4, 2024.

- Enhancement of Website

City staff is collaborating with Revize, our municipal website company, to enhance our online platform, making it more user-friendly and accessible for citizens seeing information and interaction with City staff and councilmembers. Among the enhancements, a curated search bar will allow effortless navigation of the site. Our Public Information Coordinator (PIC) is spearheading the creation of compelling content to populate the news and headlines section with comprehensive details on projects, events, and developments. Internally, a thorough web audit will fix broken links, update outdated information, and streamline content tabs to eliminate confusion. In alignment with our transparency efforts, we’re establishing information-focused pages to keep residents informed about the progress of City initiatives

- Body Cameras

City Council unanimously approved an agreement to lease body cameras for the police department in April of 2023. These body cameras serve as a tool for transparency for several reasons including accountability, evidence, training, and building trust. This effort promotes the City’s transparency efforts by providing an objective record of police-civilian interactions.]