Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Communications Plan topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Lake Elmo unveils first formal communications plan; staff to use new website, push notifications and WCAG standards
Summary
Communications staff presented Lake Elmo’s new communications plan including website improvements, Notify-me push notifications, social channels and WCAG 2.2 accessibility steps. Council asked staff to emphasize text alerts and crisis coordination with public safety.
Lake Elmo communications staff presented the city’s first formal communications plan at the Dec. 9 workshop, describing a new website, analytics tools and a schedule to meet web accessibility guidelines.
Sofia, the communications presenter, said the plan’s mission is to ‘‘provide planned quality public services consistent with the city's character in a fiscally responsible manner in partnership with our community’’ and emphasized coordinated messaging across departments. The city launched a redesigned website this year and plans to replace Constant Contact with CivicSend, enabling a Notify-me opt-in feature that can send texts or emails to residents.
Sofia highlighted accessibility obligations under the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.2) and the Americans with Disabilities Act, and said compliance timelines are phased by population: for jurisdictions of 49,999 or more, compliance is due by April 2026; smaller cities may have compliance deadlines later, with Lake Elmo expecting staged implementation through 2027. Staff said they will conduct internal training on accessibility and captioning for time-based media.
Council members raised outreach priorities: expanding text alerts and using social posts to advertise Notify-me opt-ins, featuring construction and water updates, and planning communications for the new recreation center. On crisis communication, Sofia said staff will collaborate with public safety (Dustin and Ty were identified as public-safety partners) and embed the crisis plan in the emergency operations plan.
Council direction: staff will implement Notify-me push notifications for public hearings and other categories, continue accessibility work, and take suggestions for communications projects in 2026.
