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Westfield communications office details growth, new website chatbot and accessibility work
Summary
Communications Director Kayla Arnold told the City Council that the department has expanded digital services, doubled its newsletter reach since January 2024 and added an AI chatbot to the city website; she also outlined accessibility work to meet DOJ requirements and reported metrics tied to recent events including a Live Golf tournament.
Communications Director Kayla Arnold told the Westfield Common Council on Aug. 25 that the city’s communications office has expanded its digital services, added an AI chatbot and is preparing documents to meet new U.S. Department of Justice web accessibility requirements due April 2026. “We manage the city's social media accounts. We produce a weekly e-newsletter...we manage the city website,” Arnold said.
Arnold said the city’s weekly e-newsletter subscriber list grew from just over 3,200 in January 2024 to about 6,300 in July 2025 — an increase she described as roughly 89 percent — and that the newsletter has “a 60% plus open rate.” She said the city’s combined social followership rose from about 27,000 in January 2025 to about 33,600 in July 2025. “We also…
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