Title
Communications Committee Meeting of October 16, 2008
Body
The meeting came to order at 9:45 a.m.
Approval of minutes
The minutes from the June meeting were circulated for approval.
Motion: Katherine deBlij motioned to approve the June meeting minutes. David Stiefel seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.
Trolley Advertising Program
Mr. Daniel Godoy gave a presentation of the Onboard Trolley and Print Advertisement Project.
There will be welcome floor decals inside trolleys and trolley stops available for sponsorships. Godoy also presented a Coral Gables Trolley Guide that will be a supplement as added revenue for the City containing store coupons with bar codes. The idea is to increase sales for the merchants. He also said that their idea is to make the trolley experience not only a place to see advertising but to also enjoy messages from the community. They have created "I See You, You See Me," an open platform where people can create personal messages. He also indicated that messages will include information about city events as well as public service announcements. The content will also include "Faces to Places," showcasing the faces of City staff to make the City more personable to the community. Godoy continued with another concept they plan to introduce inside the Trolleys: the ETS, Emergency Transmission System. Broadcasting on the trolley system will be interrupted to announce what to do and where to go in case of emergencies. Godoy concluded the presentation and opened the floor for questions.
Mr. Bertram Goldsmith, from the Traffic Advisory Board, inquired about how this emergency information will be updated. After the presentation, Goldsmith expressed his satisfaction with the concept.
Mr. David Stiefel asked if the proposed signage was approved by Zoning. Ed Cox replied that language needs to be changed to the existing code and they are in the process of developing this. Goldsmith inquired about the types of ads that can be included among the advertisement. Higgins Fallon clarified that there are a set of advertisement guidelines which were part of the RFP and that are included in the contract, prohibiting political, religious, alcohol, and firearms ads, among other types of advertisement.
Ms. Vivian More inquired if Trolinet was going to take care of all sales. Hidalgo replied affirmatively. He then distributed a pamphlet with sales information. Higgins Fallon asked Ed Cox to provide a status of the contract. Cox reported that it is expected to be signed in the upcoming days.
Mr. Raimundo Rodolfo from IT asked if the equipment is currently ready to include WiFi. Godoy replied that it will be in the future. Further discussion was held regarding wireless network and GPS system and the need to have technology systems overlapping each other.
Ms. Katherine deBlij asked if there were any guarantees about the proportion between ad time and non-paid announcements. Hidalgo explained that the idea is to have a 70/30 ratio with 30 percent devoted for non-paid announcements. They will maintain that ratio to keep the identity of the Trolley and its communications.
Goldsmith asked how much is this concept going to generate for the city. Hidalgo replied that the City of Coral Gables has received some projections. Members were impressed with the presentation. Vivian More thanked them for their presentation
Information Technology
Rodolfo presented the newest online components to the City's website. The permits and inspections module online is now live. In the next two years, more modules and more menus will be available. Rodolfo continued to present a new project called Terrafly, a collaboration between FIU and NASA.
Annual Report
Higgins Fallon distributed the 2008 Annual Report that the Communications Committee needs to submit yearly to the City Commission
Motion: Katherine deBlij motioned to approve the Annual Report meeting minutes. David Stiefel seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.
Higgins Fallon briefly described a program her office is working on called "Green Your Commute," scheduled for November 10-14, 2008. The 2008 Annual Budget video, which was shown at the Chamber of Commerce breakfast, was presented. Special gratitude was expressed to Vivian More for her participation in the video.
With no other business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned.