Minutes 11-11-2025-Work Session Meeting

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34 the Board could get regular updates on communications. She said when they receive it, it could also allow time for the community to participate. Vice-Chair Hamilton said there hasn't been continuity on the Board, and the importance of the group had not been passed on to new members. She said it is an opportunity to create a real advisory board. She said the number one issue that came up with the strategic plan is communication. She said she hears all the time that people can't find things on the website. She said she wanted the group to hear from other parts of the county on how they are communicating. She said that community members should have a place to talk about how they want to hear from the county and what the networks are. She said it may not need to have commissioners on it. She said they need input from the community on what works for them. She said they should consider what the charge should be for the group. She said the structure of the group should be clear. Commissioner Greene asked if this should be ongoing or a time-limited task force. Vice-Chair Hamilton said she thought it should be ongoing due to changing communication methods and needs. She said the dynamic nature of media and communications means that it should be ongoing. Commissioner Fowler asked if staff got a lot of input during the two community forums. Wil Glenn said there were about 20 people present over two forums. He said they also got input through surveys. Commissioner Fowler asked if it led to anything new that the county wasn't doing. Wil Glenn said they heard that residents get information from those they trust or community influencers. He said they are now trying to determine who those groups are and incorporate them into the communications strategy. He said that residents said it's important to have informational handouts. He said they are trying to make sure that people who are not using digital media are informed. Travis Myren said they are putting together reports from the forums and will share with the Board. Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked if they got feedback on the website, especially with need for plain language on the website. Wil Glenn said they are still working on that. Commissioner Fowler said that was one of the goals when she first joined the work group. Commissioner McKee said he hears from the public that the website is difficult to use. He said communication should be multi-pronged. Commissioner Greene said she finds the website very difficult to use. Vice-Chair Hamilton said one of the reasons she advocates for community members to be part of the group is because of the skills and talents in the community. She said getting their input would really help. Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked if the forums will be ongoing. Wil Glenn said they plan to keep them going. Commissioner Carter asked if it is a good time to rethink the approach for communications. She said she would like to hear from Community Relations on a regular basis. She asked if they should sunset this particular group and then considering creating a new group after reviewing the new strategic communications plan. Commissioner McKee said there were about seven people in attendance at the public input sessions. He said that the word did not get out widely, and he wasn't sure it was worth the staff's time. He asked if it would be more effective for staff to propose a new solution to get the community engaged. The Board agreed by consensus to sunset the strategic communications work group as it is currently structured.