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Planning committee outlines outreach tools: SharePoint, county website and an email address for the comprehensive‑plan process
Summary
Committee members discussed using SharePoint as an internal document repository, the county website for public materials, an agreed public email address, and limited use of social media; staff were asked to adjust the public contact email and to post approved minutes on the county site.
Committee members spent substantial time on June 17 discussing communications tools and who would manage them as Ashland County begins its comprehensive plan update.
Erica (staff member) reported that a SharePoint site has been used as an internal clearinghouse for draft documents, municipal plans and population projections, but several committee members said they had difficulty accessing it. "There is a SharePoint that I think we should perhaps talk about and maybe use a little more because I think that it's perhaps only Dan and myself that are adding documents to it right now," Erica said.
The committee agreed: use SharePoint for internal committee document storage and the official county website for public‑facing materials, including posting approved minutes and a copy of the 2016 comprehensive plan as background. Staff were asked to confirm editorial/upload permissions and to post meeting minutes once approved.
Email and contact points: Discussion highlighted confusion about an outreach email. Members traced the address's history: an address originally tied to UW Extension was reassigned to county use. Committee members asked staff to create a clear, plan‑specific address (suggested example: comprehensiveplan@ashlandcounty.wi.gov) and to update the publicly posted contact; staff agreed to ask county IT to rename or reassign the address and to provide access. "I'll take the action item to ask Rachel to adjust the name on the email," the chair said when the issue was raised.
Social media and external partners: Committee members debated whether to rely on social media. Several members said social channels are useful for announcing events but problematic for collecting formal input; extension and existing local pages were suggested as distribution partners. "If we're issuing invitations to come and speak or to post the basics of an agenda… it probably should go on the Ashland County extension site," Erica said; others suggested sharing press releases through local newspapers and community Facebook pages rather than opening direct public comment on social platforms.
Publicity ideas: The committee discussed a public kickoff or visual publicity events to raise awareness — suggestions included a tree‑planting to mark the start of the process, a photo op of the committee, and a small series of press releases to the Daily Press and other local media. Members asked staff to coordinate a short publicity plan tied to the consultant schedule.
Training and access: Multiple members asked for basic training on SharePoint and to be given editorial access so they can upload meeting materials and subcommittee inputs; staff said they would coordinate with county IT.
What the committee decided: Use SharePoint for internal materials; use the county website as the primary public repository; finalize and rename the public email address and ensure committee members who need it have access; and rely on extension and local media for distribution and publicity while keeping social media for announcements rather than formal comment collection.
