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Consultant urges 'one voice' approach, website and policy updates in Belton communications review
Summary
A Cooksey communications assessment presented to the council recommended centralizing communications oversight, adopting formal policies (including on AI and spokesperson protocol), improving the website as the "digital front door," and expanding an e-newsletter. Staff said several low-cost changes are already being implemented.
Consultant Tom Bryson of Cooksey presented a third-party communications assessment to the Belton City Council on Sept. 10, recommending a series of changes to centralize messaging, improve the website, and formalize communications policies.
Bryson summarized the process (benchmarking, stakeholder interviews, and a resident survey) and said a common theme was the need for consistent messaging: "There's a theory, that we call one voice — the city needs to speak with a singular authority," he said. The assessment recommended stronger oversight by the communications director, a content calendar to plan recurring communications, branding and spokesperson policies, attention to crisis communications, and consideration of AI guidance.
Staff and council members said they had already begun implementing items in the report. Paul (staff) said a content calendar is now shared in Teams for the social media committee and that a simple change (removing a library'friendly name from social pages) will make the library easier to find on Facebook and Instagram. Staff also reported contacting the Texas Municipal League for legal guidance on using PEG funds.
No formal action was required; the presentation closed with council discussion and questions about implementation steps such as third-party e-newsletter platforms and avoiding domain blacklisting when expanding email outreach.
