To: Honorable Mayor and Members of Town Council
From: Fritz Sprague, Deputy Town Manager
Karen Carter, Community Relations Manager
Title
Discussion/Direction: Communication Plan for Special Charter Election (Mayor At Large)
Body
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Introduction
On May 15, 2018 Castle Rock voters will decide in a special election two charter amendments that will allow the Town to implement the At Large Mayor measure that was approved by voters on Nov. 7, 2017. Since approval of these two amendments is necessary to enacting the At Large Mayor structure, a robust, Town-managed public education and communication effort is recommended. The goal of this plan is to educate residents to vote favorably on these two Charter Amendments.
Discussion
Ballots are anticipated to be mailed to all registered voters on or in the week of April 23, 2018. Keeping this date in mind is important when implementing a communication plan to ensure all information is made available to the public before ballots arrive. Our communication initiative will commence on Feb. 21 and will be completed before April 23. Social media posts and targeted social media reminders of our messaging - and when/where to return ballots - will continue through May 15.
Staff plans on sharing the communication materials with Council when they are complete before they are pushed out to the general public. We will do this electronically as soon as they are prepared. A lot of the work will draw from approved language used in previous mailers on this topic, so we do not anticipate any significant changes. We will be able to handle minor edits by e-mail and we have this calendared for the March 6th Council meeting for approval. This is a rather full agenda and if edits are minor, we plan on putting our communication materials on the Consent Calendar. Of course, if Council has any major changes, the item can be pulled for discussion and direction.
Because this is a Home Rule Charter Amendment, using Town resources to communicate on this issue up until Election Day is permitted under the Colorado Fair Campaign Practices Act (FCPA).
The best communication practices call for approaches that are integrated, planned, establish goals and define methods. The communication plan will enlist a variety of different communication engagement tools to deliver information to the public. The plan will identify key messages and the audience. This also includes communication approaches and tactics, who is responsible for implementation and a due date to make sure that objectives are being met in a timely fashion. The attached communication plan details how we will accomplish communicating about the election.
Tools that will be used to educate the public on this messaging include the Town’s website along with news releases and e-mail distribution lists (general subscription and those who signed up for the At-Large Mayor issue).
The Town will also use all of its social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Nextdoor, LinkedIn and Instagram, when applicable.
A direct mail piece will also be produced and mailed Town-wide. Each of these pieces will also be converted to an electronic format and shared on the Town’s website and social media. Town Talk will also be used with short, informative articles that are delivered to every water customer.
Video production will be used to create a short, educational package containing our message. This will be uploaded on the Town’s YouTube account, posted to the website and also shared on social media platforms.
Finally, we will engage local and metro media outlets to help tell the story; they typically respond to Town news releases on issues of community interest.
In all, effective communication blends all of these approaches using a consistent message and theme.
Recommendation
It is recommended that Council authorize Community Relations to proceed with the attached communications plan for the May 15 special election.
Motion
“I move to direct staff to implement the attached communication plan to educate Castle Rock residents on the May 15 Special Charter Election”
Attachments
Attachment A: 2018 Special Election Community Outreach