Straight from the Source

By: City Administrator David Cameron

June 2010

Listening to and communicating with your customers is something that should never be taken for granted.  As City Administrator, I consider Siloam Springs residents, city staff, elected officials and the business community to be my customers. I have long considered the communication and relationships between the city and all of its customers to be very important.  So important in fact, I have spent the past several months focused on ways to create a culture of better communication within your local government.

Good communication isn’t just a goal that stands apart from the city’s other services – it is an essential part of each activity and every project.  Effective communication benefits every customer and helps meet the goals of the city in many ways.

Communication encourages informed involvement. Residents need to know about city projects, plans and activities.  Everyone can more effectively express their needs and opinions when they are well informed.  The city strives to be a relevant and friendly source of information about our processes, meetings, codes and projects.

Developing relationships with all customers leads to a more productive and successful local government. Understanding customer perspectives and earning trust encourages growth and efficiency. Good communication is the cornerstone of quality customer service. The city will continue to focus much effort on connecting with the needs of all customers.

Community pride and satisfaction is built through communication. The more citizens and businesses learn about city services, the better they understand how their tax dollars are used and the more confidence they have in their government.  Educating citizens about city services, successes, and challenges helps develop a positive reputation for the city and builds pride in our community and in our accomplishments.

In an effort to support a proactive and open communication process, I’ve added a new resource to my administrative team.  Communication Director Stacy Vaughn is dedicated to considering the expectations and needs of all the customers of the city.  She acts with our customers in mind and works toward improvements in communication and service from that perspective.  Ms. Vaughn is involved on a daily basis with communication strategy and direction on projects big and small.  She also serves as a key spokesperson and public information officer for the city, and works closely with the media.

Having this position in place to address communication needs on a full time basis allows me to devote more time to other important elements of projects and to pursue new tasks and emerging issues that are vital to the interests of our community. It also assures me that communication and relationships will not be an afterthought but an important element within every department and project.

While our new Communication Director is a valuable addition to my staff, maintaining good communication and building relationships within the community continues to be every city employee’s job as well.  From the administrator to meter readers to assistants and department heads, I want every interaction between every customer and city staff to be helpful, informative and professional.

Communication with all customers – residents, city staff, elected officials, businesses and the community – is a sound investment and deserves a place among the city’s primary functions.  The City of Siloam Springs should not rely on anyone else to talk with its customers and tell its story.  The city should tell that story – consistently, accurately, and enthusiastically.