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Community Media Committee approves revised newsletter survey; opts for Google Forms
Summary
The City of Monona Community Media Committee on Feb. 13 approved a revised newsletter survey after discussion about platform limits, question wording and how results will be used. Committee members removed an item about “stories about Monona residents,” removed a frequency question and decided to use a Google form for broader response options.
The City of Monona Community Media Committee voted Feb. 13 to approve a revised newsletter survey and to publish it using an online form that allows multiple selections and open-ended answers.
Committee members spent roughly an hour reviewing question wording, survey platform options and how the results would be used. The group agreed to remove one question (“stories about Monona residents”) because the committee does not have capacity to produce that content regularly. Members also removed a separate question on satisfaction with newsletter frequency after concluding the committee could not commit to changing how often it publishes.
Discussion centered on which platform to use. Committee member Will said he has “a paid subscription plan to SurveyMonkey” and could host the survey there, but several members favored Google Forms to allow multiple-choice checks, an “other” write-in box and unrestricted response counts. The committee agreed Will will rebuild the survey in Google Forms and aim to have the live form ready within days.
Members also edited topic labels to make it easier for respondents to distinguish “community events” (festivals, special skating sessions, outdoor concerts) from department programming (library programs, senior center offerings, park-and-rec classes). The committee discussed adding brief examples after question labels to guide responses.
A committee member moved to approve the survey as amended; a second followed. The motion carried on a voice vote.
The committee also discussed analytics available from the newsletter platform and how behavioral metrics (clicks on links) could complement the survey data. Staff said analytics are available but that earlier platform limitations required manual compilation of topic trends; the group noted analytics capabilities will change when the city switches its email platform.
The committee approved the minutes of the Nov. 21 meeting at the start of the session, and adjourned after finishing the survey discussion.
What happens next: Staff will reconstruct the approved survey in Google Forms, add the agreed clarifying examples, remove the noted questions and publish the form as part of the upcoming newsletter distribution. Committee members said they will revisit analytics and platform capabilities when the city’s email provider changes.
