Agenda item

This report proposes to improve direct communications with the people of York by establishing a monthly Council publication which is delivered to every household, investigates three different approaches to producing this publication and seeks approval in principle for one of these.  It also seeks approval to repeat the successful publication of an A-Z of Council services, to be delivered to every home.

RESOLVED:(i) That the introduction of a free delivery, civic publication based on the management and distribution arrangements exemplified in Option 2b of the report, be agreed in principle, initially for a trial period of 10 issues, and subject to further work by officers to:

a)                 Provide a detailed statement of the advertising budget transfers that will be implemented from Directorates to fund the publication and to ensure that savings of at least £29,000 pa accrue to the Council;

b)                 Provide further details of the steps that they propose  to take to address the concerns of any residents who would prefer not to receive the new publication;

c)                  Provide further details and justification for the establishment of a full time publications assistant post;

d)                 Provide further information on the scope for increasing advertising income from other public service bodies and major companies in the City;

e)                 Using the Local Government Association (LGA) if necessary, further explore the possibility of the publication being used to satisfy statutory public notice requirements;

f)                    Address the following concerns raised by the Shadow Executive:

·        “The publication must ensure that job advertising was appropriate in terms of its status, geographic catchment and inclusivity;

·        Should have regard to any adverse economic consequences on pursuing the option (2b)”;

                        (ii) That an updated edition of the A-Z of Council Services be published towards the end of the year.

REASON:(i) On the grounds that it is the most economic option, with the most innovative approach and the best distribution guarantees;

                        (ii) To repeat the successful publication of an A-Z of Council Services.

Members received a report which proposed to improve direct communications with the people of York by establishing a monthly Council publication which was delivered to every household, investigated three different approaches to producing this publication and sought approval in principle for one of these.  It also sought approval to repeat the successful publication of an A-Z of Council services, to be delivered to every home.

The report presented the following options for consideration relating to the production of the monthly publication:

·  Option 1 – for it to be managed in-house;

·  Option 2a – for it to be produced in partnership with Your Local Link Magazine, as a 16 page publication;

·  Option 2b – for it to be produced in partnership with Your Local Link Magazine, as a 24 page publication;

·  Option 3 – for it to be produced in partnership with the York Press.

These options were detailed in Annex 2 of the report.

The report also presented the following options for consideration relating to the production of the A-Z of Council services:

·  Option 1 -  for it to be produced in partnership with Your Local Link Magazine;

·  Option 2 - for it to be produced in partnership with the York Press.

These options were detailed in Annex 5 of the report.

Officers confirmed that the legal advice relating to statutory public notice requirements was included in paragraph 21 of the report and not paragraph 13 as stated in the legal implications.

Members expressed support for trialling a fresh approach to communicating directly with residents.  They also requested the provision of further information relating to budget transfers, addressing the concerns of residents who would prefer not to receive the new publication, the proposed publications assistant post, the scope for increasing advertising income from other public service bodies and major companies, and the possibility of using the publication to satisfy statutory public notice requirements.

Having considered the advice of the Shadow Executive, it was

RESOLVED:(i) That the introduction of a free delivery, civic publication based on the management and distribution arrangements exemplified in Option 2b of the report, be agreed in principle, initially for a trial period of 10 issues, and subject to further work by officers to:

a)                 Provide a detailed statement of the advertising budget transfers that will be implemented from Directorates to fund the publication and to ensure that savings of at least £29,000 pa accrue to the Council;

b)                 Provide further details of the steps that they propose  to take to address the concerns of any residents who would prefer not to receive the new publication;

c)                  Provide further details and justification for the establishment of a full time publications assistant post;

d)                 Provide further information on the scope for increasing advertising income from other public service bodies and major companies in the City;

e)                 Using the Local Government Association (LGA) if necessary, further explore the possibility of the publication being used to satisfy statutory public notice requirements;

f)                    Address the following concerns raised by the Shadow Executive:

·        “The publication must ensure that job advertising was appropriate in terms of its status, geographic catchment and inclusivity;

·        Should have regard to any adverse economic consequences on pursuing the option (2b)”;

                        (ii) That an updated edition of the A-Z of Council Services be published towards the end of the year.

REASON:(i) On the grounds that it is the most economic option, with the most innovative approach and the best distribution guarantees;

                        (ii) To repeat the successful publication of an A-Z of Council Services.