Council hears debate over Old Town marketing after in‑house advertising rollout

Councilmembers returned to a months‑long Old Town marketing controversy on Jan. 13, 2026, when Councilwoman Solange Whitehead asked the manager and treasurer to agendize the Old Town advertising, marketing and public‑relations contract (Contract No. 2025192COS) so the finalist agency could answer questions before council took a final vote.

Whitehead said the request was intended to "allow further discussion before we vote to deny, approve, or modify" and to ensure any denial is based on accurate information. Several councilmembers said merchants and stakeholders had complained about the prior vendor’s performance and that city staff should demonstrate how an in‑house approach would work.

City Manager Greg Caton told the council he issued a memorandum on Dec. 26 to ensure Old Town marketing continuity after the contract uncertainty, and that the city launched a soft internal marketing program the same day with a nine‑person cross‑departmental team. Caton said the city will provide "regular, weekly correspondence on our ads, our campaigns, and reporting measures" and emphasized metrics and merchant engagement.

Councilman Barry Graham said the city should test the in‑house approach and measure results, noting concerns about perceived overhead in the proposed contract; Councilwoman Mary Anne McCallum and others urged giving merchants an opportunity to speak through planned mixers and feedback processes.

Councilwoman Whitehead moved to agendize a presentation, discussion and possible action on the contract; the motion was seconded and drew an alternate motion to take no action. The transcript records debate and a pending vote; specific vote counts were not provided in the provided transcript excerpts.

City staff said they will brief council regularly on campaign metrics and merchant engagement while any further contract action is considered.