Communications firm may be hired

Staff hopes to improve community engagement

At its next virtual meeting Wednesday, the Ukiah City Council will consider approving paying a communications firm about $70,000 to “assist with community engagement.”

According to the report prepared for the Dec. 2 meeting, staff is recommending hiring KP Public Affairs for several months at a cost of $10,000 a month for “services that include graphic design, copywriting, social media proficiency, and all other aspects of public relations.”

If the city were to hire staff members for these activities, the report continues, “it would likely take two or more employees and would be far less economical.” The report also notes that the contract would be month- to-month, and that the funding would “primarily come from money allocated to travel and training which could not be used due to the pandemic.”

According to the proposal submitted to the city from KP Public Affairs, which is based in Sacramento, “while the city is working hard to protect and improve quality of life for Ukiah residents, staff lacks the resources and expertise to effectively and efficiently communicate these efforts and engage with the community. An outreach, messaging and education effort can help as the city pursues sustainable provision of municipal services throughout Ukiah Valley and navigates the economic recovery after the pandemic. There is an opportunity for the city to elevate its communication efforts to proactively tell its story, increase understanding, and build awareness of the benefits of key city decisions.

“By crafting clear messages, recruiting new messengers, and using a series of communication channels,” the proposal continues, “the city can improve how it is perceived and its ability to make positive progress in the region.”

The proposal also lists these “key elements”:

• Message Development: Build out key message tracks for each policy area — with major points and supporting information — that the city can use as a basis for communicating the issues at hand

and what they mean for the residents and the region’s future.

• Materials Development: Create a series of materials that can be used in outreach and education efforts.

• Social Media: Deploy informational content through the city’s own social channels, and position partners to share content.

• Earned Media: Work with local reporters to improve their understanding of key issues facing the Ukiah Valley, and place regular columns and contributed pieces to help get the city’s story on residents’ kitchen tables.

• Stakeholder Outreach: Conduct a multi-faceted outreach program that targets different constituencies with education on

issues. Part of this effort could involve the creation of a “community working group.”

Staff also notes that if hired, KP Public Affairs “would not act as a public information officer, but would provide the tools and training necessary to more effectively and efficiently engage with the residents, media, and other stakeholders in the Ukiah Valley.”

Staff also notes that “civic engagement is one of the key aspects to government accountability. By definition, democratic governments should ref lect public opinion, and therefore function best when the citizens are wellinformed. (And while) the City of Ukiah employs a variety of communication methods in an effort to both inform and seek input from the community, there are no employees who are solely dedicated to this engagement or a unifying approach. Therefore, communication tends to be fragmented, varying from department to department, and is largely reactive.”

Instead, staff concludes, “a more effective communication strategy would contribute to: effective implementation of public policy and projects; assisting the news media in coverage of governmental activities; reporting to the citizenry on agency activities; increasing the internal cohesion of the agency, engagement with the agency itself.”

We d n e s d a y ’ s me e t - ing will begin at 5:45 p.m. with a reception for outgoing mayor Doug Crane. To attend the meeting, reg ister at: https://attendee. gotowebinar.com/ rt/4910662329263871245 You can also watch the meeting (without participating) here: www.cityofukiah.com/meetings.