Drafter
Clerk 07/14/2011
Title
A MOTION promoting county use of electronic media in order to reduce costs and to increase access to county services and to improve customer service.
Body
WHEREAS, King County is committed to continually improving customer service and finding operational efficiencies, and
WHEREAS, each year King County is estimated to spend in excess of two million dollars on postage to communicate with residents, and
WHEREAS, King County residents are increasingly using and relying on electronic media such as email, the King County website, and electronic mailing lists, to get county services, communicate with King County and obtain information, and
WHEREAS, King County has established policies to increase the use of technology as a way to cost-effectively enhance services to county residents, and
WHEREAS, there are circumstances where electronic media are not practical or legal as a means of communicating with county residents;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT MOVED by the Council of King County:
A. The council hereby commits to increasing electronic media options for county residents to receive information or council services whenever practical and legal. When communicating with county residents using mail, bulk-rate mailings shall be used whenever practical.
B. The executive is requested to encourage county departments to offer more electronic media options for county residents to receive information or services whenever practical and legal. When communicating with county residents using mail, bulk-rate mailings shall be used whenever practical.
C. Separately elected officials are requested to offer more electronic media options for county residents to receive information or services whenever practical and legal. When communicating with county residents using mail, bulk-rate mailings shall be used whenever practical.
D. When implementing this motion, mail should continue to be used with county residents that do not have electronic technology available or who prefer not to receive communications electronically.
E. The executive is requested to provide a report to the council summarizing postage budgets by county departments, identifying those mailings for each department exceeding ten thousand dollars in postage costs.
F. The report should also examine whether those mailings could be done by bulk mailing or electronically and any steps taken to do so. Separately elected officials are requested to cooperate with the executive in preparing this report. The report should also identify legal constraints to using electronic media to communicate with residents, and make recommendations for changes to state law or county code if the executive agrees this is advisable. By July 15, 2012, the report shall be filed in the form of a paper
original and an electronic copy with the clerk of the council, who shall retain the original and provide an electronic copy to all councilmembers.