Lake County staff outlines yearlong communications calendar and plans town halls, fire outreach

Communications staff presented a draft annual outreach calendar to the Lake County Board of County Commissioners during a work session, asking commissioners to approve themes and participate in planned town halls and outreach events.

"So this is our kinda outline for the year of, like, evergreen events and, town hall opportunities and social," the communications staff member said, describing a calendar the team will publish as an Outlook overlay for commissioners.

The plan maps outreach themes to national observances and local needs. April would focus on “Safe Digging Month,” with public-works demonstrations and education about the short local digging season; staff proposed photo opportunities, haiku contests with schools for National Poetry Month and a public-facing explanation of locate requests. May was proposed as wildfire-preparedness month, when officials would partner with emergency management, the sheriff's office, the U.S. Forest Service and local fire departments to increase Everbridge emergency-alert signups and to promote defensible-space work such as free chip removal in some areas. A summer series of town halls and a countywide mailer planned for June were intended to reach seasonal residents and encourage engagement on county priorities.

Staff emphasized low- and no-cost options — rotating informational signs, small giveaways already in inventory and using free public spaces such as Sixth Street and community parking lots — and recommended tying specific incentives to signups (for example, raffle entries for Everbridge subscribers) to increase participation.

The communications team said it will produce infographics targeted at a lower reading level and suggested more internal communications to support the county’s 180+ staff. Commissioners asked for concrete metrics and a short list of the "major themes" for each month so they could coordinate remarks, events and any follow-up budget implications. Staff said the calendar will be shared as an Outlook layer and as a simple document with major monthly themes and suggested actions for commissioners.

Commissioners and staff discussed frequency. Some favored quarterly or every-other-month town halls to avoid "the same people" always attending; others suggested topic-specific events and a rotating schedule that brings meetings to neighborhoods with recent wildfire impacts, such as Twin Lakes and Leadville.

Staff said town halls can be run at minimal cost if partners provide space and outreach support, and that some partner-driven experiences — for example, fire-truck photos or ride-along raffles — may require additional insurance or operational review before being offered. The communications team also proposed partnering with schools for civic-engagement activities and discussed doing a county mailer that in past outreach had boosted appointments at a health clinic.

The board asked staff to return with the short, month-by-month themes and with proposed metrics so commissioners can evaluate outcomes and budget implications. Staff said they would begin planning a wildfire-focused town hall, circulate the calendar overlay, and bring dates back to the board for scheduling.

The conversation also covered lighter outreach ideas (staff pet photos, a staff-run social campaign linked to Finance Month featuring a county employee who runs, and community contests), with several commissioners and staff noting the need to balance humor and practicality in public messaging.

Ending

Staff said they will share the calendar overlay and a one-page list of monthly themes and suggested metrics, and will return to the board with proposed dates and partner commitments before scheduling public events.