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Council to pursue digital-first communications; Constant Contact favored as low-risk start
Summary
After reviewing multiple platforms, council favored experimenting with Constant Contact for email (and optional SMS) while improving content (short videos, post-meeting summaries); council agreed to explore switching funds from print newsletters to digital tools.
Ann Arrington led a review of the city’s communication tools, noting the printed newsletter reaches only a portion of residents and costs about $99/month for standalone mailings and roughly $1,849/month when included with utility bills. She presented three options—branded app platforms (CivicPlus), TextMyGov (SMS chatbot), and Constant Contact—and noted Constant Contact was preferred as a low-cost, flexible starting point.
Arrington and others emphasized that improved content matters as much as platform choice: proposals included short "City Minute" video updates, department spotlights, and post-meeting summaries. Council broadly agreed to move forward exploring Constant Contact while refining messaging; no procurement was authorized at the retreat.
