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Home My WebLink AboutMemo - Mail Packet - 6/16/2020 - Memorandum From Seonah Kendall, Amanda King And Honore Depew Re: Expanded Face Covering Outreach & EngagementMEMORANDUM Communications & Public Involvement 215 N. Mason St. PO Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522 970.416.2209 fcgov.com DATE: June 9, 2020 TO: Mayor and City Councilmembers THROUGH: Darin Atteberry, City Manager Kelly DiMartino, Deputy City Manager FROM: Amanda King, Communications & Public Involvement Director SeonAh Kendall, Recovery Manager Honore Depew, Policy and Project Manager RE: Expanded Face Covering Outreach & Engagement Background: Since the face covering order was first enacted on May 1, 2020 education-based compliance efforts have focused on informing the public about the importance of using a face covering as one piece of a larger strategy to slow the spread of COVID-19 in our community. On May 31, the City’s face covering order was extended indefinitely and amended to align with Larimer County’s approved Safer at Home variance. Larimer County also extended their face covering order indefinitely. On June 4, Governor Polis amended his order for workers in critical businesses and critical government functions to wear non-medical face coverings to allow businesses the discretion to deny admittance or service and require the removal of any individual who fails to wear a face covering. As ambassadors of City Council policy, staff has expanded education and outreach efforts through numerous channels and partnerships to support the business community in reopening safely. Communication Strategy: Extensive communication to businesses and residents, in alignment with Larimer County outreach, has focused on voluntary compliance with the order – and the community is responding very positively. Businesses appreciate having a mandate they can use to keep their customers and employees healthy, without being obligated to enforce it if doing so would be unsafe. Based on Council feedback, additional messaging was developed to focus on sharing the “why” in a simple and visual way. Updated messaging focuses on how face coverings can help limit the spread of the virus from asymptomatic carriers and allowing our local businesses to reopen safely. Promotional messaging has been shared across a variety of City platforms including the website, social media, eNewsletters, local media and on FCTV channels 14 & 881. Additional outlets, including paid advertising, are being explored to reinforce the effective role face coverings play as part of a larger strategy to slow the spread of COVID-19 in our community. Business and Partner Engagement: As more businesses reopen, staff from the City’s Communication and Public Involvement Office (CPIO), Economic Health Office (EHO), and Neighborhood Services Department have acted as business ambassadors to actively engage and support businesses to help them reopen safe and reopen strong. And at the same time, DocuSign Envelope ID: C4115544-D90D-45C2-81A8-5D9AB4AD0A66 staff and partners are encouraging businesses to share photos and stories that feature their employees and customers wearing face coverings to reinforce the order and encourage others to support local businesses safely. The scope of the business ambassador program is currently being scaled up to increase reach across the city and respond specifically to stated needs of the business community. A formal “For Fort Collins” Ambassador Program is being created to rally support from carefully selected targets in sharing the For Fort Collins campaign with the community. Targets will include local business owners, entrepreneurs, bloggers and social media influencers. Encouraged to promote the online resources on behalf of the City of Fort Collins, Ambassadors will, in return, receive marketing training and support through an engagement the City of Fort Collins has created with a local marketing agency. The Ambassador Program was developed to support local businesses as they work to reopen strongly and safely, which includes messaging about the importance face coverings have during this time. As part of the For Fort Collins recovery effort, responsible patron guides have been developed to educate and remind the community of their shared responsibility in maintaining safety protocols when visiting businesses. New “ForFoCo” branded bandanas are being provided to local businesses and partners to give to customers and visitors who may not have a face covering and will be made available to Councilmembers for distribution as well. Partner agencies like the Downtown Development Authority, Downtown Fort Collins Business Association, the Centers for Disease Control, Larimer County Public Health, Colorado Department of Health & Environment and UC Health have also developed their own signage and promotional campaigns encouraging the use of face coverings when in public businesses and buildings. Enforcement: The City continues to take an educational approach to enforcement with a focus on ensuring signage is prominently displayed in English and Spanish. Larimer County is handling enforcement of the Safer at Home phase on a complaint basis. Larimer County Health Department inspectors expect businesses to show that:  They have implemented the COVID-19 business/facility reopening checklist and that it is posted in the facility and are following the Mandatory Practices for the business type.  Employees and clients/customers wear face coverings when in the business.  Employees understand the sick employee policy and that it is posted  That 6 feet of social distance is being maintained by employees and customers  Cleaning protocols have been shared with employees If any of this is not being followed, a business can be closed by public health officials. Continuing Communication Plan: Attached is a detailed communication plan that shares the ongoing strategy, tactics, sample messages and graphics to continue to engage residents, local businesses and partners and support the use of face coverings in our community. DocuSign Envelope ID: C4115544-D90D-45C2-81A8-5D9AB4AD0A66 6/9/2020 FACE COVERING COMMUNICATION AND OUTREACH PLAN - 2020 PROJECT TITLE: Cover for Others | Cover to Recover OVERALL PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT LEVEL: Inform BOTTOM LINE QUESTION: How can we educate residents about the use of face coverings to reduce their risk of asymptomatic COVID-19 viral spread? How can we support local businesses to reopen strong, reopen safe? TARGET AUDIENCES: Fort Collins residents – esp. seniors, low-immune, Spanish-speaking communities Fort Collins businesses that are open or reopening to in-person business TIMELINE: May-TBD May: Extended order Continue sharing CDC content Finalize City branded content June-TBD Deploy updated content Paid advertising if applicable KEY MESSAGES: Cover to Recover As our community reopens, wearing a face covering is something we all can – and should – do to protect each other. Wearing a face covering, even when you feel healthy, reduces the risk of transmitting the virus to others. With this in mind, the City's recent face covering requirements, which were made public in an emergency order on May 4, have now been extended indefinitely. As a reminder, face coverings are required in the following places: • Any enclosed area, including retail and commercial businesses or on-site service providers, to which the public is invited or in which workers, including volunteers, from more than one household are present, • Any outdoor seating or patio area of a place covered by the order, unless the person is seated for eating or drinking, • Any City of Fort Collins building or indoor City facility; • Any public transportation, including City Transfort buses and bus shelters; or DocuSign Envelope ID: C4115544-D90D-45C2-81A8-5D9AB4AD0A66 6/9/2020 • Any other public indoor place where persons are unable to maintain safe physical distancing (six or more feet of separation) from others not of their own household. Cover to Recover It’s now known that people who never show symptoms can carry the virus and infect others. Wearing a face covering, even when you feel healthy, helps to reduce that risk and keep others safe. As our community reopens, wearing a face covering is something we all can – and should – do to protect each other! Cover for Others As our community reopens, wearing a face covering is something we all can – and should – do to protect each other. Wearing a face covering, even when you feel healthy, reduces the risk of transmitting the virus to others. #ForFoCo TOOLS & TACTICS: May - TBD General Community/Residents: ✓ Website updates: https://www.fcgov.com/eps/coronavirus-facecoverings • Fcgov.com spotlight(s) ✓ May – Face Covering Order ✓ June - TBD – Transition to Cover for Others campaign • City News (2500 subscribers) ✓ June – sent June 1 o July - TBD • COVID-19 weekly newsletter (over 1200 subscribers) ✓ May – in every newsletter M/W/F ✓ June - TBD – in weekly newsletter each Wed. • Social media campaigns (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) ✓ May – Face Covering order, CDC messaging ✓ June – Cover for Others; Cover to Recover ✓ July - TBD – Cover for Others • FCTV Bulletins (slides on Channels 14 & 881) ✓ May – Face covering order ✓ June – TBD - Cover for Others • Paid ads: as budget allows • News release(s): ✓ May – Order signed ✓ June – Order extended Business Community: • Signage & check-ins: ✓ English/Spanish signage available to all local businesses ▪ Printed & delivered 200 ▪ Available online for download • For Fort Collins campaign: ✓ Website/Social Media resources DocuSign Envelope ID: C4115544-D90D-45C2-81A8-5D9AB4AD0A66 6/9/2020 ▪ Reopening resources ▪ Responsible patron checklists ✓ ForFoCo bandanas ▪ June – 1,000 to be delivered to local businesses to provide customers who arrive without a face covering ✓ “Business Ambassador” program is being developed to help local businesses champion the message of face coverings while supporting their ongoing marketing efforts • ForFoCo website ✓ Community stories, downloadable infographics, etc. • Social Media ✓ Local business features with photos of face covering photos ✓ June – July: Local business PSAs on “why I cover” CREATIVE: DocuSign Envelope ID: C4115544-D90D-45C2-81A8-5D9AB4AD0A66