Outline for Town communications policy raises questions

Town Information Technology (IT) Director Todd Jones presented an outline of his credentials and ideas for development of a Town of Front Royal Communications policy at the Monday, November 18, Town Council work session at the Warren County Government Center.

The initiative of a communications director to oversee Council and Town staff interactions with the public on processes of Town services and other questions was brought forward by Matt Tederick during his Interim Mayor’s term. Now as Interim Town Manager, Tederick introduced Jones to brief council on his media and community background and ideas for development of a more effective communications strategy between Town officials and the public.

Jones traced past work with several cable companies and two television stations in promotions and production during which time he worked on “thousands and thousands and thousands of television commercials”. He also cited his 34 years in the community and marriage to a local girl “born in Warren Memorial Hospital” – something that future generations may not be able to say for some time after the Town, County and EDA approved a $60-million dollar bond issue for a new Valley Health hospital in town without a Maternity Ward – and a desire to assist in helping “the community heal a little bit” in the wake of public outrage surrounding the $21.3 million dollar Front Royal-Warren County Economic Development Authority financial scandal.

Todd Jones described a four-pronged approach to the new policy.

“So, I’m really excited about the opportunity to … help the Town communicate with its citizens, and really let the citizens have a better communications level with the Town Council and the Town staff,” Jones said in prefacing his outline of a communications plan.

Jones described a four-pronged approach addressing 1/ dialogue with citizens, including utilization of social media accounts – though not in a combative manner with any social media outlet communications that might be thrown the Town’s way Jones explained in response to a question; 2/ communications with the press featuring pre-submitted questions to Town officials; 3/ implementation of regular “Town Hall meetings” in which the public can engage in direct back and forth with Town officials, including department heads; and 4/ a 90-day review process between the communications officer, council, mayor and town manager on what is working and not working in the process.

About Number 2
On press row the immediate reaction was that pre-submitted questions, particularly to the Town’s elected officials, by the media would definitely not work, and would in fact be counterproductive to a number of crucial aspects of the press’s role in covering governmental affairs. Those aspects include acquiring elaboration on the thought process of individual council members and the mayor in presenting or rejecting policy initiatives and rationales for those policy and voting decision; as well as establishing that individual elected officials are doing their homework in reviewing staff agenda item summaries of the issues before them.

Contacted the following day about that aspect of his presentation, Jones said his goal in the pre-submitted media question aspect of his communications plan summary was “not to be restrictive” but rather to see that the Town was “speaking with a single voice, rather than hundreds of voices”.

When it was suggested that such a policy might be justified in communicating established departmental policies regarding Town services and the process of those services to the public, but not in media questioning of seven elected officials who often approach policy initiatives from different perspectives for differing reasons, Jones admitted, “There not the same thing, you’re right.”
He added that the developmental process of overall improved communications between the Town and the public was “all in the early stages – we’ll see how it ends up”.

And Jones stressed again that the goal was to improve the Town’s communications line with its citizens and make those citizens aware that the Town government is there for them; and to clarify how they can get answers to questions that impact their daily lives as residents of the Town of Front Royal – “to build a bridge between the people and the Town,” he said by phone Tuesday afternoon.

Just don’t let it end up like that John Lennon song “Walls and Bridges” from the media perspective, Todd, and we’ll be good.

As for the bridge of regular “Town Hall Meetings” during which citizens could get direct information from department heads on services, as well as council on issues, Jones suggested every 90 days.

However Mayor-Elect Gene Tewalt, who was chairing the work session in the temporary absence of Vice-Mayor Bill Sealock, suggested holding the Town Hall’s on a monthly basis after the turn of the year.

Jones suggested that another aspect of a Communications or Public Information Office or Officer would be to “coordinate with law enforcement on mass casualty drills and things like that … to make sure that the Town is aware of how to do that, so that you as council members know how to handle those types of things to prepare you for those types of mass casualty events and make sure the information gets out to the public accordingly”.

After the presentation Interim Town Manager Tederick added some comments on how he envisions the process proceeding.

“Just so I can lay out my vision as to how we are going to crawl, walk, run with this, we’re still trying to develop the system and the processees … of a public information office. I’d like for Todd to spearhead it, develop this as we go. It’s going to take several months of getting it up and running.

Interim Town Manager Tederick added some comments on how he envisions the process proceeding.

“And my idea is not to necessarily to make it a permanent position in our budget because I want to make sure if a new town manager comes in and then he gets his opportunity to flush it out and determine whether we want to make it a position, or maybe we want officers, that’s still an option as well,” Tederick told council.

See the entire discussion about the future of the Town of Front Royal’s communications with its citizens and the media in this exclusive Royal Examiner video: