We need to embrace technology to provide greater involvement & input from Idaho Falls citizens as well as more transparency. I have a number of ideas that, if implemented, would go long way in accomplishing this objective.

a) Record City Council Meetings & Post on the City website: let’s face it, most citizens do not attend these meetings for many reasons. But if you don’t attend, it would be nice to be able to know exactly what occurred in the privacy of your home by watching or listening to the recorded council meeting and ‘tabbing’ to the part about which you are most interested in learning. This would be fairly easy to incorporate and would provide the most accurate and transparent feedback available. I also believe that if this was done, more people would get involved and be informed because we would have provided an easy means to do so. This is not a novel idea as many other cities are doing this very thing. It would also be possible to post on various local radio stations, all in an effort to provide easy access.

b) Monthly City E-newsletter: currently we are informed of most city happenings via the newspaper, TV, radio or word of mouth. If you don’t take the newspaper, didn’t catch the evening news report, listened to the radio at the wrong time or don’t have very informed friends, how do you know that which is occurring within our city? You don’t. I am proposing a campaign for the majority of City of Idaho Falls Utility paying customers. We are all currently being sent through the mail a “hard paper copy” of our bill. If we were to initiate a process of going to electronic billing, just as we have electronic payments, the savings could be enormous. I have a current bill in my hand. The cost? The postal cost says .36; then we have the envelope in which it came plus the envelope for payment; we have the actual bill as well as 2 other papers advertising the library and fire prevention week. Between all of this and printing, I’d say this easily cost us $0.65 + cents per customer. But for a conservative estimate, let’s say it cost $0.50 x 25,000 household billings. That is $12,500 per monthly billing cycle x 12 months or $150,000. Imagine how we could apply savings from something as simple as this. Maybe this could go towards some safe bike paths or employee benefits? Certainly it’s roughly the wages of 4 city employees. But once we begin to transition towards this, think how much more effectively we could begin to communicate with all of the residents here. Wow! This is just exciting to think about the possibilities here. It would be a process, but as with anything, you’ve got to start somewhere to make it happen.

c) Bi-monthly guest editorials in the Post Register: Here all city council members would rotate as guest editorial writers concerning an area of the city over which they preside or they would address a topic that is of vital concern at the time. The questions could come from the people of Idaho Falls. This would provide another arena for both transparency and communication. I certainly would do this.

d) Monthly Forums: The Post Register, other media outlets and civic organizations would also be an ideal partner with the entire city in sponsoring monthly forums so as to address current issues before a large public audience.

e) 30-day Sunshine Clause: any officially proposed city ordinance would require 30 days review before moving forward. In this way constituents would have an opportunity to review proposed ordinances & become involved before any final decisions are made.

f) Technology can promote city assets: once we are able to send out City E-newsletters, we can then begin to promote our city assets in an efficient manner. In this way we can better help to generate money through user fees, including “coupon” specials with discounts and give-aways, such as 2 for 1’s. Examples of this might be that through our records, we know that month “X” is a very slow month for the zoo. This would then be the time that we promoted the zoo via a “special.” The golf courses, the Aquatics Center, the library, etc. would be no different. These examples and more could be highlighted to promote them, thus increasing their exposure and ability to pay for themselves.

g) Webinars: I plan to use these as another means to articulate the happenings within the city. These can be scheduled once a month and address particular issues of importance. Not only will I do this, but invitations will be extended to all other council members to also participate. In this way the citizens of Idaho Falls will be able to watch and listen to that which is occurring from the comfort of their own homes.

–Barbara Ehardt