Goal 7 Ensure open and accessible government.

Increased communication with the citizens it serves has been and remains an important goal of the City Commission. To best serve the community, the City must take necessary steps to ensure that the citizens find their government offices, services and programs accessible, and their City officials and leaders open to dialogue.

The Neighborhood Council Program, proposed by the Study Commission and approved by voters, is an example of how one program offers a format for citizen involvement in local government at a grass-roots level. The Commission and City employees have embraced the concept, recognizing the program as an effective partnership and providing an additional avenue for the community to voice ideas and affect community outcomes.

This council program has been successful by empowering citizens to identify issues, formulate ideas, and solve neighborhood problems. The partnership between the neighborhood and the City to develop Russell Park as a natural area in southeast Great Falls is an ideal example of how one neighborhood has worked together with its council, on a highly sensitive issue, using the City as a resource. There are other good examples including the creative resolution of the parking problems around Great Falls High School.

The City newsletter, News and Views, the Public Access Channel 7, and the City's Internet website, www.ci.great-falls.mt.us, are some of the vehicles through which the City strives to communicate its information to the community. The newsletter often features and explains the operations of various departments and highlights new or unique programs and services. Channel 7 regularly airs the City Commission meetings. These offer additional means to provide City and community information rapidly and effectively to residents. The City's website offers browsers a wealth of information on the history of Great Falls and the services offered.

Openness and the free flow of information also are critical components to operating any healthy, innovative organization or business. City staff regularly examines the present methods of encouraging this flow of information and researches ideas on how to increase its effectiveness to best serve the community.

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Goal 6 | Goal 7 | Goal 8 | Goal 9 | Goal 10