Council reviews town-hall pilot: 80 attendees, 50+ questions and recommendation for biannual cadence

Kelsey Coleman, the city's communications and engagement manager, presented results from the council's first town-hall event under the "Meet You There" initiative. Coleman said staff conducted targeted outreach (Spanish-language outlets, veterans groups, disability groups and social media community boards) and that the event drew roughly 80 in-person attendees and more than 50 submitted questions; the Facebook Live stream had about 30 live viewers but nearly 6,000 total views over time.

"We had 80 people show up in person and... almost 6,000 total views," Coleman said, summarizing attendance and digital reach. Staff recommended a cadence of two town halls per year (fall and spring) with additional topic-specific events when issues merit deeper discussion. The presentation also noted lessons learned: provide staff subject-matter experts at the table, pre-sort questions to identify operational versus policy items, improve live-stream audio and consider larger venues or breakout sessions to accommodate demand.

Council feedback was constructive and pragmatic. Several councilors said the first event was a successful pilot and suggested adjustments: include directors or other staff to answer technical questions in real time, limit the number of council responders per question to avoid a single-person perspective, and consider pre-submitting questions to allow deeper answers. Councilors also proposed short social periods before town halls for informal, small-group conversations to allow staff and residents to interact one-on-one.

Next steps: staff recommended, and council generally supported, continuing town halls with improvements to format and staffing. Staff will return with a proposed schedule and recommended operational changes for future events.