Draper staff unveils communications policy draft; council pushes to make elected‑official guidance non‑prescriptive

City staff presented a comprehensive communications policy and an accompanying crisis communications plan to the Draper City Council on Feb. 3, arguing the documents would promote consistent, lawful and accurate public messaging across departments and elected officials.

The staff presentation emphasized legal and operational benefits. “A policy that’s comprehensive ensures that those messages are clear, consistent, lawful, and trustworthy,” the presenter said, adding that the plan defines who speaks for the city and how information is approved. The draft covers social media administration, public‑records compliance, website branding, employee use of social media and recommended practices for elected officials.

Several council members welcomed a single, verified channel for official information but objected to language aimed at elected officials that they said sounded prescriptive. One councilor said the section on elected‑official social media “doesn’t come off like that” (as recommendations) and urged removing or reframing it as a training document. Staff agreed to return the draft as either a less prescriptive guidance document for officials or split it into a formal policy (for staff and official channels) and a separate training/recommendation packet for elected members.

Next steps: staff will revise the draft to clarify which parts are mandatory for city employees and which are recommended best practices for elected officials, and will circulate the full text for council review.