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City previews Broomfield Voice refresh aimed at easier public engagement; platform now hosts maps, standardized project pages
Summary
Communications staff demonstrated a refreshed Broomfield Voice engagement platform with improved navigation, accessibility and project templates. Staff reported increased site activity since the refresh and said the platform is being recommended by the platform vendor as a model site.
City communications staff showed a redesigned Broomfield Voice engagement site intended to make it easier for residents to find active projects, participate in surveys and track project timelines.
Julie Story, communications director, and Melanie Ferraro, community engagement specialist, walked council through the new homepage, a ‘Find Your Project’ search, standardized project pages and interactive tools such as surveys and mapping. Ferraro said the refresh prioritized accessibility, archived completed projects to remove clutter and standardized page layouts so residents can find consistent information across topics such as transportation and development.
Demonstration highlights included an “Engage Now” section that lists projects currently accepting feedback, project timelines and a “who’s listening” box that names the staff member responsible for reviewing submissions. Ferraro said the city consolidated old pages, improved navigation and increased clicks per visit, a signal that users are finding content more easily. She added that Granicus, the vendor hosting Broomfield Voice, has recommended Broomfield’s site as a model for other municipalities.
Council members and residents asked about outreach to social platforms (Nextdoor and Facebook), map features for planning and CIP projects, and whether the platform lists events and community listening sessions for departments including police. Staff said project-specific posts to social media include links back to Broomfield Voice and that active planning/engineering maps and CIP maps exist separately; staff agreed to explore making construction and planning maps more discoverable from the main page.
Public commenters praised the new design and encouraged continued promotion, while some asked that televised meeting displays include a small speaker video window so remote viewers can see who is speaking alongside presentation slides. Staff said the platform will remain the city’s hub for online engagement going forward and noted that many projects include open-ended question tools and newsfeed-style updates to document progress.
