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Mayor LeTourneau stated that the City needs to take better care of its parks system and supports <br />this position. <br /> <br />Councilmember Riley referenced the communications position and stated that he does not see a <br />full-time job within the description and would like to talk about reducing that position or <br />combining it with another. He recognized that communication is important for the City but <br />would like to find a different way to meet that need. <br /> <br />Mayor LeTourneau stated that this position was added after discussions on how the world was <br />changing and there was a need to be transparent and communicate the good work that is being <br />done by the City with the residents. He stated that perhaps there is a future discussion on how <br />the position could be reevaluated to ensure that the needs and expectations are being met. <br /> <br />Councilmember Kuzma commented that there is often false information circulating and it should <br />be important to have something in place to counteract that. He stated that perhaps the position is <br />needed as a part-time position. <br /> <br />Mayor LeTourneau stated that the communications person is in charge of ensuring that the <br />messaging of the City is consistent throughout all departments. <br /> <br />Councilmember Musgrove noted that the newsletter is not prepared in-house and therefore is not <br />a responsibility of this position. <br /> <br />City Administrator Ulrich stated that the communications position is responsible for editing the <br />articles submitted by departments and placing them into the proper format. He stated that <br />content is generated both by departments and the communications position. He stated that <br />communication was and still is viewed as an important element. He explained that is not just the <br />newsletter but also the website, press releases, and social media. He stated that the position <br />could be scaled back, noting that communications is proactive and could instead be reactive. He <br />noted that the position also handles events and the City could scale those back as well or not hold <br />events. <br /> <br />Councilmember Musgrove asked how those duties were completed prior to this position. <br /> <br />City Administrator Ulrich explained how the newsletter duties occurred prior to this position. <br />He explained how this position has been important in communicating news about COVID. He <br />provided details on how the position duties are being handled at this time. <br /> <br />Administrative Services Director Lasher stated that the position is split between communications <br />and events and provided additional details on the job description. <br /> <br />Councilmember Kuzma stated that while he agrees that the Council could review the scope of <br />the position, he would not want to see it eliminated, as it is important for the City to have <br />consistent messaging. <br /> <br />City Council Work Session / August 25, 2020 <br />Page 4 of 7 <br /> <br />