Topeka community engagement director describes ombudsman role, outreach and youth focus

Monique Glade, Topeka director of community engagement and interim diversity officer, described the ombudsman and community engagement functions to the Citizens Government Review Committee on March 5 and outlined recent call volumes, outreach methods and priorities.

Glade said the ombudsman acts as a neutral, independent representative who investigates and seeks to resolve resident complaints and provides policy recommendations. "An ombudsman is a neutral independent representative who investigates and resolves complaints," she told the committee, describing duties that include complaint investigation, mediation, resource navigation and education.

She told the committee the ombudsman's office handled about 150 calls in January and about 45 in February; she said many of the calls are infrastructure‑related (streets, potholes, streetlights) and that staff often create SeeClickFix tickets on behalf of residents who lack access or prefer not to submit them directly. Glade also said the city has improved coordination with the Shawnee County 911 call center to redirect nonemergency service requests.

Glade listed the advisory bodies supported by her office — the Citizens Advisory Council, the ADA Advisory Council and the Human Relations Council — and said the department uses town halls, digital platforms, targeted surveys and neighborhood outreach to connect with residents. She emphasized work to identify and partner with grassroots leaders and to increase youth engagement for ages roughly 14–25 through internships and other hands‑on programs. "Youth engagement is everything," she said, arguing younger residents can distribute information quickly and help shape programming.

On surveys and accessibility, Glade said engagement products vary by audience and are deployed across the city's website, social media and hard copies when needed. She also noted the department distributes resource packets to residents who lack reliable digital access; the exact annual count was unclear in remarks, but she described distribution at scale to reach older residents and others without computers.

Glade told the committee she regularly coordinates with the city manager and department leaders, and that she has experienced cooperative interaction between staff and the governing body on recommendations from advisory committees. She encouraged committee members to refer grassroots leaders who may not attend formal meetings and offered to meet community members where they are to build trust.

Why it matters: The ombudsman and community engagement office are primary pathways for residents to raise service complaints and participate in local policymaking; Glade's presentation outlines how the office triages concerns, supports advisory councils and plans outreach to underrepresented groups.