Commission discusses outreach plan as city rolls out charter-survey flyer and QR code

Mount Vernon Charter Review Commission members spent substantial time at the Feb. 5 meeting discussing outreach to increase participation in a city survey on charter revisions.

Commissioners and staff noted the city communications team had produced a flyer with a QR code and that the survey was already live on the city website and scheduled for distribution in the mayor’s weekly update and council email blasts. Commission members urged targeted outreach to underrepresented groups, particularly younger residents and South Side neighborhoods; suggestions included posting the flyer on school websites and newsletters, distributing printed copies at senior centers (the Dole Center was named), and asking houses of worship to announce the survey during services.

Several commissioners volunteered to distribute printed flyers, meet with congregations and staff the Dole Center to assist residents who lack internet access. The commission asked city communications to embed a clickable hyperlink in the PDF flyer so recipients who receive the flyer by email can tap to open the survey (participants noted a QR code on a flyer is difficult to use from the same phone). Staff said they would circulate the city-produced PDF to commission members for local distribution; no formal vote was taken.

Commissioners also discussed basic data controls on the survey: organizers will collect ZIP codes and monitor IP-address patterns to detect anomalous submission spikes and incomplete responses. The commission asked participants to keep a list of outreach locations and partners to include in the commission’s report on community engagement.