Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Communications topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Cottonwood Heights weighs ending printed newsletter to save $69,000 annually and expand digital outreach
Summary
City staff proposed eliminating the monthly printed newsletter to save approximately $69,000 per year; councilors supported transition planning but asked for a phased approach, options for seniors and possible text‑alert modules and quarterly printed editions while increasing signups and mobile formatting.
City Manager Jared Gerber and communications staff briefed councilors on a proposal to cease the monthly printed newsletter and shift resources to a digital and mobile‑first approach. Staff said printing and mailing costs amount to about $69,000 annually; the digital newsletter currently has about 1,029 active email subscribers and the city's social accounts have combined followers of approximately 10,000, though engagement (link clicks) remains low.
Options discussed included: moving fully digital with printed copies available at city facilities; offering a quarterly printed edition; purchasing a text‑notification module (estimated at roughly $18,000 per year) to send a short text when a new newsletter posts; or maintaining an opt‑in mailed version for residents without internet access. Councilors stressed the need to survey older residents and to stage a transition (one year suggested) so residents who rely on printed mail are not cut off.
Staff also proposed mobile‑friendly formatting, using site text alerts and apps (Sequix and similar products were mentioned for service reporting), and targeted outreach to convert households to opt‑in digital subscriptions. Councilors supported exploring texting and quarterly print options while asking staff to return with cost comparisons, an outreach plan for seniors, and metrics for tracking adoption.
