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process as part of the Downtown projects and single-lane pilot project. These responsibilities
were the primary (and sometimes sole) focus for Maureen for approximately two years.
Previously, Maureen had a part-time temporary employee who helped execute some day-to-
day Communications responsibilities. The hours for this position currently are budgeted, but
the position is unfilled at this time.
Currently, Maureen Tobin has shifted back to focusing on the City’s overall Communications
efforts and fulfills the role of Public Information Officer. She has received PIO training, Crisis
Communications Training, and a Public Engagement Certification. Maureen oversees
Communications for the City and certain Departments have empowered individuals to
champion external communications. Tripepi Smith noted that a significant portion of
Maureen’s time is dedicated to executing communications and monitoring/responding to
conversations on social media.
Per City Manager Steve Rymer, the goal is for all Departments to embrace their own proactive
and strategic Communications efforts as a fundamental part of their work. This would enable
Maureen to better manage the City’s communication efforts and allow her to focus more on
proactive, strategic campaigns. As of this writing, Maureen has already taken the first steps in
establishing a “Communications Team.”
Tripepi Smith’s recommendations generally center on:
•
addressing the federated nature of Communications and attempting to better
coordinate and plan communication activities
•
expanding the use of social media as a second digital front for the City’s online
communications
•
documenting policies and procedures
•
pursuing a more aggressive media engagement strategy, particularly with new media.
Additionally, Tripepi Smith has identified specific areas for improvement with Action Steps in
each of those areas. Some of these Action Steps are immediately achievable with current
resources, while others may require additional resources to implement. These details are present
in the expansive Recommendations section at the end of this report. The general theme in these
areas was either identifying how to improve upon existing processes or driving an evolution in
strategy that could yield communications that better tell the City’s story, reach a larger portion of
the community, and encourage more positive sentiment about the City.
Summarized Observations
General
•
The City is doing relatively well with its transparency efforts: it freely offers video
recordings of important meetings via Granicus, and financial information such as
employee compensation.
•
There is a growing concern about misinformation and rumors spreading rapidly online
and the current/potential resources needed to address misinformation.