Consultants find Brentwood communications largely sound; recommend brand guidelines and website and social tweaks

At the Communications Committee meeting on Feb. 25, consultant Samantha of Raftelis presented a completed communications audit and recommended that Brentwood adopt a strategic communications plan, a brand and style guide and targeted website and social‑media changes to improve reach and consistency.

The audit, Samantha said, found that "y'all are doing things real well," while identifying a few targeted adjustments that would raise consistency across materials, lower the reading level of some documents, and improve web navigation and social engagement. She told the committee Raftelis conducted a situation analysis, staff workshops, and 10 external stakeholder interviews as part of the review and plans to deliver the final communications plan and brand/style guide in March.

Why it matters: Committee members said the work could help the city reach a growing population of younger families and reduce confusion when residents seek service information. The audit recommended clear staff protocols for choosing channels and timing, templates for common document types, and modest website navigation changes to shorten the path to frequently requested information.

Key findings and recommendations

- Research and scope: Raftelis completed a kickoff workshop with staff, a SWOT analysis, a review of printed and digital materials, benchmarking against two similarly sized municipalities (De Pere, Wis., and Bath, Maine), and 10 external stakeholder interviews. The consultant recommended follow‑up work to produce a social‑media plan and a brand/style guide.

- Staffing and budget comparisons: The audit found Brentwood’s staffing and budget are comparable to the benchmarks. Samantha reported that De Pere uses a non‑dedicated communications model with an assistant city manager performing comms duties; De Pere’s communications spending was described as roughly "40 to 50" (thousand dollars). Bath, Maine, was reported at about $91,000. The consultant said Brentwood’s centralized, dedicated communications role makes the city relatively well positioned compared with those peers.

- Materials, readability and digital tweaks: Reviewers found generally good use of multiple channels and design that will improve further with the proposed brand guide. The audit flagged readability issues in some materials—several items measured at a high‑school reading level—and recommended aiming for plain‑language copy (the consultant referenced an eighth‑grade target commonly used in municipal communications). Small website navigation changes and clearer archiving or labeling of video/meeting records were recommended to help residents find information faster.

- Social media and community pages: The consultant noted that a significant portion of local conversation already happens on unofficial community pages, and recommended that the city monitor those channels and treat them as part of the ecosystem rather than trying to eliminate them. Samantha advised capturing where conversations occur and planning targeted outreach to meet residents "where they are."

Committee action and next steps

The committee approved the consent agenda item adopting the minutes from the Nov. 19 meeting (motion and second recorded; vote recorded as "all in favor" with no individual roll call provided in the transcript). Committee members and staff said they want the forthcoming plan to include practical protocols for staff use, templates for common outputs (newsletters, fact sheets), logo concepts and guidance on application for signage and banners.

Public comment and supplemental detail

Resident Lois Truman urged improvements to the city website’s event and recycling information, saying, "In plain English, we need to fix that," and offered to volunteer on the committee. The committee confirmed there is an electronics‑recycling event scheduled for the coming weekend and said the audit will produce specific recommendations on archiving and organizing meeting videos and materials.

What happens next

Samantha and Raftelis said they will provide logo concepts, a brand and style guide, and the strategic communications plan in March and plan to deliver the final materials in person. Staff and committee members requested that the plan include implementation guidance, evaluation metrics and suggestions for a possible public survey if the city wants broader input beyond the stakeholder interviews.