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City presents communications and library annual reports; communications seeks staffing and studio, library pushes lockers and outreach
Summary
Communications and library staff presented annual reports on Jan. 7 showing growth in digital engagement, new services such as a Town Talk podcast and Anytime Pickup lockers, and requests for additional staffing and facility investments.
The Victoria City Council on Jan. 7 received annual reports from the Communications and Public Affairs department and from the Victoria Public Library, hearing achievements, usage data and requests for future resources.
Ashley, communications director, told council the department grew its video output and engagement last year, launched a Town Talk podcast, and added a city alert center with geo‑targeted notifications for utility and waste customers. The communications team reported a 100% growth in video views and said demand for services now outstrips a seven‑person department. Ashley said the department is prioritizing personnel and equipment needs to reduce outsourced costs; she described a dedicated multimedia studio as a medium‑term goal to improve efficiency and reduce recurring vendor expenses.
“We are a department of seven and while that does sound like a lot, there are other cities in comparable sizes that have twice that,” Ashley said, summarizing staffing pressure and rising demand for graphics, video and rapid notifications.
Lauren Moe, the public safety communications manager embedded with police and fire, reviewed crisis and event response work, including Hurricane Beryl preparations and the city response to a Dec. 11 plane crash. Moe described an expedited sequence of public updates and a press conference on the day of the crash and credited collaborative emergency operations for timely public information.
Jessica, library director, presented the Victoria Public Library's annual statistics and new services. The library reported more than 17,000 computer sessions in fiscal 2024, roughly 36,000 active cardholders, and 154,000 in‑person visits (about 400 visitors per day on average, with summer peaks near 800). The library has added Anytime Pickup lockers (a downtown unit in service since March 2024 and a second unit planned at the Victoria Mall) and is pursuing a possible bookmobile grant to expand outreach. Library staff also noted rising costs for e‑materials and ongoing facility maintenance needs, including roof leaks in areas of the shared building owned by Victoria County; the city has engaged a structural engineer to assess the roof.
Jessica said the Friends of the Victoria Public Library contributed volunteer hours and funded equipment and programs including new computer tables and chairs and summer programming; the library plans a 50th‑anniversary celebration on Oct. 4, 2025.
Council and the city manager used the reports to preview upcoming budget and capital decisions: the city manager said he had asked departments to include more detail about needs and priorities in the annual reports to support spring budget discussions and noted some library facility fixes will require coordination with Victoria County, the building owner.
No formal council action was taken on either report during the meeting; presentations were accepted and staff were encouraged to return with cost estimates or grant applications for items like the communications studio or a library bookmobile.
