COSA Press Release: City “Introduces” an Already Familiar Public Information Publication -- The E-Newsletter The St. Augustine Report now a city publi

News FROM THE CITY OF ST. AUGUSTINE
Department of Public Affairs
P. O. Box 210 St. Augustine, FL 32085
PHN: 904.825.1004 FAX: 904.825.1096
EMAIL: pwilliamson@ci.st-augustine.fl.us
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For Immediate Release February 13, 2009
City “Introduces” an Already Familiar Public Information Publication -- The E-Newsletter The St. Augustine Report now a city publication

For hundreds of St. Augustine residents and business owners, former Mayor and
Commissioner George Gardner’s The St. Augustine Report plays an essential role in their effort to stay informed on city government related topics. Published at least weekly and again on Fridays before City Commission meetings, the e-newsletter has grown since its inception more than four years ago from a brief email into a graphically rich, information packed publication that covers a wide variety of topics about the events, people, organizations, activities and government decisions impacting the St. Augustine Community.
Now, in an agreement with the City of St. Augustine, The St. Augustine Report has become one of the city’s official information outlets through which the community will be kept abreast of topics related to their municipal government’s work and our community at-large.
“Mr. Gardner is a professional journalist with years of hands-on experience as a reporter and editor with a talent for asking questions and explaining answers in an easy to read style.
Combined with his insiders’ perspective and level of understanding of city government and we have someone with unique qualifications to gather information and share it with the community,” said Paul Williamson, the city’s Public Affairs Director. “The St. Augustine Report will certainly prove to be a valuable tool in our city government’s ongoing efforts to share as much information with as many people as possible,” Williamson added.
The city currently uses a number of ways to disseminate public information including
regular press releases sent to regional media; Insight, the quarterly newsletter included in utility bills; News & Notes, an email with agendas and official notices sent to nearly 400 recipients each Friday; and the city’s web site, www.staugustinegovernment.com.
The contractual agreement with Gardner requires that he produce and distribute The St. Augustine Report, an arrangement that will add the new service without using any additional staff time. The St. Augustine Report is distributed free upon request. To subscribe, email gardner@aug.com or call 904.825.3648.