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Canal Winchester presents resident communications survey, staff outline short- and long-term follow-ups
Summary
City events and communications coordinator Hannah Woodruff presented a resident communications survey showing a roughly 10% response rate (381 responses), with Facebook, the city website and the mailed utility newsletter cited as top sources; staff proposed immediate outreach tweaks and longer-term items including a resident packet and a development spotlight.
Hannah Woodruff, the city’s events and communications coordinator, presented results from a resident communications survey at the Sept. 30 Canal Winchester City Council meeting, saying postcards were mailed to nearly 4,000 households and the survey drew 381 responses — about a 10% response rate. "Any communication you’re getting from the city is likely coming from me," Woodruff said, describing the survey period (April 20–June 10) and outreach channels used.
Woodruff said respondents skewed older, with more than half aged 55 or older, and that the three most-cited sources for city information were the city Facebook page, the city website and the monthly newsletter mailed with utility bills. She added that 65 respondents checked that they would be interested in a city phone app. "The word ‘event’ was used 47 times," Woodruff said, noting residents want clearer notices about community events and development updates.
Council members and staff said they would pursue low‑burden short-term steps that do not require new hires. Proposed immediate actions include distributing printed newsletters in the city lobby and local businesses, sharing Fairfield County Sheriff weekly posts on the city's Facebook page, and creating a development-spotlight feature to explain ongoing projects. Woodruff said she will check whether the Destination Canal Winchester app can be synced with city alerting systems.
Longer-term ideas discussed by the working group include a new resident packet and a business packet with local resources, and increased council tabling at community events to raise awareness. Council President Will Bennett said staff have been exploring how to improve outreach without adding significant workload to existing staff.
The meeting’s discussion focused on clearer, more frequent notices for road closures, construction updates and development projects, and on making meeting summaries and financial information easier for residents to find. The council did not take policy action at the meeting; follow-up steps will be carried out by staff and the communications working group.
