South Salt Lake reviews communications after FlashVote survey; city to switch email platform, boost targeted outreach

At its Feb. 26 meeting, the South Salt Lake City Council heard a presentation from city communications staff on the results of a December FlashVote survey and planned changes to how the city reaches residents.

Julie Taylor, deputy director of neighborhoods, said the communications team will prioritize email, website improvements and targeted social outreach as part of an expanded effort to reach residents. "We do a lot with a little, but the best thing we have going for ourselves is the passion," Taylor said.

Joseph Dean, the city's communications manager, told the council the FlashVote survey drew 215 responses and showed roughly 39% of respondents rated the city's communications from "good" to "excellent." "That's promising, but obviously there's a lot of room for improvement," Dean said. He added that residents told staff they want more information about infrastructure projects, city programs and services, community events and policies or ordinances that affect them.

Staff said the city will move its email distribution to Constant Contact beginning in March, with the goal of improving readability and tracking click-throughs. The city also plans to grow its FlashVote panel (currently about 400 in the pool), use boosted and targeted social media posts, and pursue additional graphic design support to make messages clearer.

Dean outlined other communication channels the city uses: a printed newsletter (the City Journal delivered via a contract with Value Ads), social media, digital monitors (about seven installed across city facilities), bulletin boards at Fitts Park and historic Scott School, utility bill inserts and partner outreach. He said many residents still read printed notices and utility inserts, while email is a preferred channel for receiving news.

Staff highlighted a website improvement plan. Dean said residents want better search functionality and that the city must meet web accessibility (ADA) requirements by 2026. The city is also launching a community value survey soon with Y2 Analytics; staff said results are expected before the FY26 budget process and the city is aiming for about 400 responses.

Council members asked how the City Journal mailing list is maintained and how to improve event visibility. Dean said the City Journal partners with Value Ads and that delivery is handled through postal routes; staff recommended residents place a note in their mailbox if they are missing a paper. Staff confirmed the web calendar can provide downloadable event entries for user calendars and that the Civic web calendar supports that feature if events are entered consistently.

Council members also raised translation and accessibility. Staff said some materials are produced in Spanish (especially via Promise program outreach) and that FlashVote supports Spanish translations; additional languages would incur extra cost and staff noted some residents may not be literate in a native language, making targeted outreach and focus groups useful for specific topics.

The presentation included announcements of upcoming community events shared by scheduling staff: a free landscaping class on March 15 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the South Salt Lake Community Center; a Community Connect meeting on March 5 at 10:30 a.m. in the senior center; and a senior ball on March 7 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the community center.

Staff said the communication work supports broader city priorities and that improvements to email, website search and ADA compliance, and investment in targeted social advertising and design resources are priorities for FY26.