Grand County approves $6,000 pilot for community information and outreach

The Grand County Commission approved a four‑month pilot to fund a Community Information & Outreach Program intended to improve residents’ access to factual, timely information about county policies and decisions.

During the March 3 meeting, Economic Development Director and Public Information Officer Melisa Jeffers said the county lacks a dedicated budget to "amplify" factual content about county policies and that the proposed program would deliver plain‑language explanations via newsletters, social media, web content and community briefings. Jeffers described tourism as a primary but not exclusive topic for the program; the County’s economy is heavily tourism‑driven and recent decisions on land use, infrastructure and recreation directly affect many residents' livelihoods.

Commissioner Brian Martinez moved to approve up to $1,500 per month for the Public Relations Coordinator for four months (total $6,000) from the commission discretionary fund; Commissioner Mike McCurdy seconded. Commissioner Trish Hedin and others asked for more specifics on how funds would be spent and what measurable results would be expected. Commissioner Mary McGann raised concerns about the Commission Administration budget and requested clearer accounting. Melisa Jeffers said the pilot would primarily pay for amplifying content on media platforms and other outreach strategies where no budget currently exists. The motion carried 7-0.

The pilot funds were approved from the commission discretionary line; commissioners asked that program performance and any future funding requests be reported back to the board.