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Pullman staff outline expanded ways for residents to contact council and city departments
Summary
City staff reviewed existing and planned communication channels — web forms, email, phone, virtual public comment, newsletters and targeted mailings — and described steps to improve response times and make a centralized subscription center for department updates.
The mayor and city staff briefed the Pullman City Council Feb. 11 on current communication channels and upcoming improvements to how residents contact elected officials and city departments.
The presentation summarized existing contact methods (city email lists, individual councilmember contact forms, a general contact us form, department phone numbers), how staff handle media requests, and the two public-comment windows provided at regular council meetings. Staff said they are working to standardize response targets for emails and phone inquiries and to create a single subscription center so residents can opt in to department-specific newsletters without visiting multiple pages.
“As a city we want to make sure that any emails that come in ... get a response within 2 days,” the mayor said while reviewing standards staff are working toward for elected‑official and staff responses. The presentation also explained the virtual public-comment registration process and that some matters (for example, items that have already had a public hearing) may have legal limits on additional comment.
Councilmembers asked about maintaining an up-to-date master list of downtown business contacts for time‑sensitive notifications. Staff said they do not currently maintain a single authoritative downtown business contact list and that keeping such a list current would be the primary challenge; they recommended encouraging businesses to subscribe to city mailing lists while exploring a consolidated signup option.
The mayor and staff highlighted annual engagement opportunities (capital and transportation improvement hearings, biannual budget goal-setting and open‑house events) and occasional outreach projects (parks master planning). Staff committed to returning with any requested procedural changes and to continue improving the city website and subscription tools.
Councilmembers praised recent website changes and the mayor’s brief meeting recaps as ways to make city information more accessible.
Staff said they will continue work on a single, opt‑in subscription page and standard response time goals; they encouraged residents to use the “How do I…” feature on the city website for quick answers and to register for virtual comment when needed.
