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Carbondale advisory committee advances plan for town WhatsApp channel; translation and policy questions remain
Summary
The Carbondale Latino Advisory Committee discussed a proposal for an official town WhatsApp information channel, including proposed posting limits, translation responsibilities and a planned presentation to the town board on June 10.
Committee members discussed creating an official town WhatsApp information channel to reach Spanish-speaking residents and other community members. A committee facilitator explained the need for a written policy and procedure before launch and said she will "hablar con otras personas, otros empleados, otros directores" to draft guidance. She told the group she will bring a proposed policy for presentation to the town board on June 10.
Members raised concerns about inclusivity and translation. One committee member said the channel should not exclude non-Latinx residents: "no lo estamos haciendo para la primera los años... si es un grupo de WhatsApp, ahí les llegan las notificaciones a ustedes en un solo lugar." Speakers discussed practical subscription options (QR codes, flyers, radio announcements, the local paper Sol del Valle, and existing WhatsApp groups) and proposed a sign-up process rather than an open group chat.
The committee debated posting frequency. One participant suggested limiting posts to three per week to avoid over-notifying members; another recommended once per week with the ability to consolidate multiple items into a single post. The group discussed that governmental content should be translated by the town (committee staff said the town would translate government-originated content) while nonprofit-submitted resources must include translations in their submissions.
The committee requested two volunteers to help prepare a presentation for the town board and flagged operational questions: whether the town—s Public Information Officer would provide translations, who would translate audio content, and how to handle members who do not use WhatsApp. A staff member said she would translate and bring a draft policy to the next meetings and to the June 10 board presentation.
Ending: The committee approved moving forward to prepare a policy and a board presentation; volunteers will help draft the materials and the committee will report back at the next meeting.
