Minutes - Council Work Session - 02/08/2021

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appropriate direction. She asked how these job tasks could be done using other staff members. She commented that some of the things included are a part of normal staff duties that have been expanded. She stated that the City does not have to be available on every platform and should focus on directing residents to the City website for information. She preferred a simpler strategy and did not want to see it overcomplicated. City Administrator Ulrich stated that there were some discussions about the position during the budget process. He stated that his interpretation was how this position can be used to enhance communication rather than backfilling with other staff. He stated that there is a desire for a focused and consistent message, and therefore they are attempting to better define the duties. He stated that the work requires someone to pay attention to the details and is not something that would be covered by another staff member doing this in addition to their job. He stated that staff believes that this position adds value and opportunities to enhance communications efforts using the budget resources allocated to the position. He stated that there have been issues with communications in the past and did not believe less resources would be the answer. He stated that staff took the direction that the budget is tight and how those resources and efforts can be best directed. Councilmember Musgrove commented that staff and leadership should use the strategic goals and priorities of the Council to make this work. She stated that she has had several conversations related to accuracy, which she feels is important. She believes that staff already knows the position of the Council related to communications and thinks these things should be done in-house and did not believe specific direction is needed for every little thing. She stated that the Council already knows these things about communications and the task is implementing this within City staff. City Administrator Ulrich appreciated the input from Councilmember Musgrove. He stated that staff was looking for feedback on this strategy and noted that if this format seems acceptable, staff will proceed to fill in the additional details. He noted that staff simply wanted direction before placing more effort into this strategy. Mayor Kuzma commented that he would view this as a guiding tool. Councilmember Howell stated that she was not present for the budget discussion. She stated that perhaps the Council could review the newsletter before it goes to print to ensure there are not errors. She did not see a purpose for a Communications Committee or the additional people or tasks. She stated that the goal should be to streamline and focus on accuracy. Councilmember Specht commented that there would be value to a discussion about the position itself and whether it is needed. He stated that he likes that there was this opportunity for a more in-depth discussion on the communications strategy. He stated that he would like to see short blurbs on different platforms that direct people to the website for additional information. He stated that he is interested in communications and would encourage multiple platforms and again a focus on accuracy. Councilmember Riley stated that part of the previous discussion was whether the position was needed, and he believed the takeaway was not to get rid of the position but instead that communications was vital, and it needed to be refocused. He stated that from this information he City Council Work Session / February 8, 2021 Page 5 of 6