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Council reviews new communications playbook to improve bilingual outreach and crisis messaging
Summary
City staff introduced a communications playbook designed to standardize outward messaging, improve bilingual (English/Spanish) notices, and formalize a five-step crisis-communication process; council suggested specific timing stamps, dual-language posting strategy, and cross-training for designees.
City staff presented a communications and engagement playbook intended to create consistent, timely messaging from city hall, strengthen resident trust, and improve two-way engagement.
The playbook outlines primary audiences (residents, local businesses, community groups, local media) and secondary audiences (visitors and nearby towns) and recommends channels including Facebook, Instagram, email newsletters and town halls. It also prescribes bilingual publishing for key notices and templates for maintenance and emergency notices. The mayor highlighted a library initiative supported by a Kiwanis Foundation donation as an example of program communication: "They'll be filled with various bilingual books, stuffies, puzzles, toys," the mayor said of the library 'story bags' program.
Staff emphasized a five-step crisis communication process: assess and confirm, determine channels, create clear messaging, assign roles (spokesperson/writer/monitor), and follow-up and debrief. Council members asked for sharper timing guidance for emergency updates (for example, defining 'frequent' as a specific hours window) and recommended scheduling town halls and posts at times outside dinner hours to reach working families. Staff said the playbook is a living document and will be refined with council feedback.
