On the agenda: Cape Elizabeth Communications Working Group — ALPR (Jul 28)

Communication Working Group Regular Meeting
Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at 3:30 PM

Jordan Conference Room, Town Hall

1.

Review and discussion of current policy / guidance documents
A.

Communications Strategy 2010

B.

Website Operating Guidelines 2009

C.

Pubic Communications Coordinator Job Description

D. Webmaster Job Description 2018

2.

Review and discussion of neighboring towns' policies
A.

South Portland

B.

Scarborough

3.

Goals and strategies

4.

Plan agenda for next meeting

5.

Adjourn

Page 1 of 45

Adopted: July 12, 2010
The Town Council, seeking to enhance more effective citizen participation in local
government, will implement a communications strategy to more effectively provide
information to citizens on municipal services and on local issues.

Town of Cape Elizabeth, Maine
Communications Strategy
July 2010
This communications strategy, adopted by the Cape Elizabeth Town Council on July 12,
2010 is intended to serve as a springboard for the local government to improve effective
communication with citizens on municipal services and on local issues. It also provides
specific recommendations on how the local government could enhance communications
with other parties including the media.
Desired Outcomes
The desired outcomes of this strategy are as follows:
•

Citizens will know where to find information on their local government and will
be able to complete routine transactions with the government 24/7.

•

Meeting rooms and meeting procedures will enhance public engagement.

•

Citizens will have opportunities to impact local decision making.

•

Municipal information, both online and in print, will have a clearly recognized
identity.

•

Municipal officials and staff will understand opportunities to disseminate
information of interest to citizens and other parties.

I. Citizens Finding Information

A primary source of official information for citizens of Cape Elizabeth is
www.capeelizabeth.com. It received 83,000 visits in March 2010 and nearly 300,000
page views. The website is utilized by the press to access information written by our
webmaster and it is a resource for staff and others for searchable reference material on
the Town. It has been recognized as one of the best municipal websites in Maine.

Page 2 of 45

The website is staffed by a part-time webmaster who undertakes all of the website design,
99% of the website posting and writes nearly all of the news stories on the homepage.
The FY 2011 stipend for the position is $22,000 which is an exceptional value for the
time and talent devoted to the site.
The website guidelines provide: The Town of Cape Elizabeth homepage is not intended to
be a forum for expressive activity by members of the public or by government officials;
instead it should provide neutral information and data and links which do not espouse
specific views.
A. Website Recommendations
1. The website should remain as the primary source of official municipal
information, both current and historical. It should be neutral in focus, should
archive agendas, minutes and related documents of official meetings, streaming
video of taped meetings, and the website should continue to be updated on a daily
basis.
2. The website will not serve as a vehicle for commenting on municipal issues and
services. The website shall contain links to easily enable e-mails to municipal
officials.
3. Other websites provided by the Town of Cape Elizabeth such as the sites for
Portland Head Light and the Thomas Memorial Library shall contain numerous
prominent links to www.capeelizabeth.com. The main website will contain links
to other websites maintained by the Town.
4. The website should be reorganized to better categorize information with drop
down menus and shall utilize more color and more video.
5. Municipally produced short videos describing local services or outlining
municipal issues should be available on the website and in social media.
6. The staff shall advertise the availability of RSS feeds as an option for citizens to
receive website updates.
B. Other Opportunities for Citizens to Find Information
1. The Town of Cape Elizabeth should regularly issue press releases regarding
municipal issues and activities. Press releases should be sent to print media,
radio, television and online content providers.
2. The Town Manager shall provide several updates each month on municipal
activities that may be of interest to the public. These shall be sent to the same list
as press releases.

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3. The Town should consider the placement of an electronic message sign on town
property at the recycling center to provide important official messages.
4. CETV should continue to broadcast regular meetings of the Town Council,
School Board, Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals. Programming on
CETV shall be expanded to include programs focusing on the activities of
municipal departments.
5. The tax bill should contain an insert each time that outlines current municipal
information.
6. The Town Council shall annually invite public input on citizen priorities prior to
the annual goal setting process.
7. The Town Council will seek opportunities to speak to local groups on topics of
interest to citizens.
II.

Meeting Rooms and Meeting Procedures Should Enable Public Engagement

The three major meeting rooms at the Town Hall need updating. The Town Council
chamber has poor acoustics, and the seating is crowded for many meetings. The Council
dais takes up more than half of the room with its ramp, its angle, and the need to have
space between its elevated position and the first row of seating.
The William H. Jordan Conference Room is often overcrowded, is not easy to find for
new visitors and has heating challenges. Its accessibility through a wheel chair lift does
not meet current standards.
The 2nd floor conference room near the ACP office also has little room for the public and
is difficult to reach.
A.

Meeting Space

A study should be undertaken to see if meeting spaces at the Town Hall could be changed
to add public seating, to improve sound projection, and to enhance the opportunity for
public engagement at meetings. As part of this study, surplus space at the Cape Elizabeth
Police Department should be reviewed to potentially free up additional space for
meetings at the Town Hall.
B.

Participation at Meetings

All Town Council meetings and meetings of advisory boards and commissions should
provide an opportunity for members of the public to speak. Each board shall develop
procedural rules in accordance with Maine law that enable this participation to occur
while still ensuring there is an opportunity for the board to conduct its deliberations.

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III.

Citizens will Have Opportunities to Impact Local Decision Making
A. Except for emergency special meetings, at least 72 hours notice of any municipal
meeting shall be provided. The notice shall include a copy of the agenda for the
meeting posted on the calendar section of the municipal website.
B. The Town should continue to expand the online availability of documents related
to agenda items.
C. Every agenda shall contain a brief summary of the procedures for public
participation at a meeting.
D. The procedural rules for each board and commission shall be posted on the
website.
E. The Town will continue to provide an opportunity to e-mail boards and
commissions directly via the municipal website.

IV.

Municipal Information, Both Online and in Print, Will Have a Clearly
Recognized Identity.

The Town does not have a uniform logo or mark identifying itself. There are different
versions of the Town seal and municipal departments have developed their own identity
marks.
A. It is recommended that the Town update its Town logo to a single identifying
mark for all municipal departments. This mark or logo should be created utilizing
volunteer talent within the community.
B. The new mark shall be utilized on municipal vehicles, on letterheads, on agendas,
on municipal publications, on the website and on signage when appropriate.
C. The new mark shall convey a positive image and identity for the Town of Cape
Elizabeth.

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V.

Communications Training
A. The Town Council will include as part of its own orientation process and as
part of the training process for boards and commissions, a discussion of
communications strategy and the importance of providing the public timely
information and meaningful input into policy deliberations. This shall
include specific training on Maine’s statutes relating to access to public
meetings and public information.
B. The Town Manager should include as part of the professional development
and training opportunities for all employees workshops and seminars
related to effective communication.

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Adopted: July 12, 2010
The Town Council, seeking to enhance more effective citizen participation
engagement in and access toin local government, will implement a revised
communications strategy to more effectively provide information to citizens on
municipal services, and on local issues, and local businesses operating within
Cape Elizabeth.

Town of Cape Elizabeth, Maine
Communications StrategyCommunications &
Public Information Strategy
July 2010March 2024
This communications strategy, adopted by the Cape Elizabeth Town Council on July 12,
2010 is intended to serve as a springboard for the local government to improve effective
communication with citizens on municipal services, and on local issues, and local
businesses. It also provides specific recommendations on how the local government could
enhance communications with other parties including the media.
Desired Outcomes
The desired outcomes of this strategy are as follows:
•

Citizens will know wherebe able to quickly locate desired to find information
on the town website related to all local government and municipal offices.

•
Citizens will be able to complete routine transactions with the government 24/7 on the
website.on their local government and will be able to complete routine transactions
with the government 24/7.
•
•

Meeting rooms, and meeting procedures, and meeting recordings will enhance
public engagement and public access..

•
•

Citizens will have opportunities to impact local decision making.

•

Municipal information, both online and in print, will have a clearly recognized
identity.

•

Municipal officials and staff will understand opportunities to disseminate
information of interest to citizens and other parties.

•

Local businesses will feel supported by the municipal government.

I. Citizens Finding Information

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A primary source of official information for citizens of Cape Elizabeth is
www.capeelizabeth.com. It received 83,00024,000 visits in March 2010February 2024
and nearly 300,000170,500 page views. The website is utilized by the press to access
information written by and/or posted by our Public Information Coordinator webmaster
and it is a resource for staff and others for searchable reference material on the Town. It
has been recognized as one of the best municipal websites in Maine.
??

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The website is staffed by a part-time webmaster Public Information Coordinator who
undertakes oversees the all of the website design and redesign with contracted services
approximately every three years;, writes news stories, meeting reports, and posts public
notices and events; posts agendas, meeting materials, and video recordings.
In addition to the website, the town utilizes social media, cable tv, and an email
subscription service to communicate information to the community. The public
information coordinator oversees the town’s accounts on Facebook and Twitter to ensure
that public inquiries are answered, engagement is forwarded to the appropriate staff,
citizens are informed of neighboring initiatives and/or alerts, and maintains an archive of
all social media data.
.99% of the website posting and writes nearly all of the news stories on the homepage.
The FY 2024011 stipend for the position is $22,00052,530. which is an exceptional
value for the time and talent devoted to the site.
The website guidelines provide: The Town of Cape Elizabeth homepage itself iss not
intended to be a forum for expressive activity by members of the public or by government
officials; instead it should provide neutral information, and data, and links which do not
espouse specific views. The website may, however, host a direct link to contracted citizenengagement platforms which do allow for direct citizen feedback.
A. Website Recommendations
1. The website should remain as the primary source of official municipal
information, both current and historical. It should be neutral in focus, and
provide access to archived should archive agendas, minutes, and related
documents of official meetings, and video recordings of meetings. streaming
video of taped meetings, and tThe website should continue to be updated on a
daily and annual basis to ensure best practices. The website should managebasis a
regular archiving schedule in order to optimize search capabilities on the website..
1.
2. The website shall increase the public information coordinator’s hours to fulltime,
approximately 10 extra hours, to include time for the coordinator to maintain regular
communications with the Town Manager, Town Clerk, and department heads in order to
receive information on current projects, issues, and/or current events which should be
highlighted on the website and other platforms.

2. The website will not serve as a direct vehicle for commenting on municipal
issues and services. The website shall contain links to contracted platforms
(such as Zencity) which facilitate citizen connectivity and/or email subscription
services (such as Granicus).easily enable e-mails to municipal officials.
3.
4. The website should consider bundling email subscription services with either
the new website CMS and/or the citizen engagement platform. This will not
only streamline the information sending process, but might reduce costs.
5. The website will provide links to easily enable emails to municipal

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departments, government officials, boards, and committees.
3.6.The website will also provide links to other official town department websites
which are maintained independently. These department websites include: Cape
Elizabth Community Services, Cape Elizabeth Fire & Rescue, Cape Elizabeth
Schools, Portland Head Light/Fort Williams Park, and Thomas Memorial
Library.Other websites provided by the Town of Cape Elizabeth such as the
sites for Portland Head Light and the Thomas Memorial Library shall contain
numerous prominent links to www.capeelizabeth.com. The main website will
contain links to other websites maintained by the Town.
4.7.The website should be reorganized to better categorize information with
fewer menu options, faster and curated search capabilities, larger and easier to
read fonts, crisp and spacious pages, ADA-compliant design and tools, and
improved navigation speed.with drop down menus and shall utilize more
color and more video.
5.8.Municipally produced short videos describing local services or outlining
municipal issues should be available on the website and in social media
as needed.
6. The website and sstaff shall advertise the availability of email subscription
options for citizens to receive automatic updates on desired subjets.RSS feeds as
an option for citizens to receive website updates.
9.
B. Other Opportunities for Citizens to Find Information
1. The Town of Cape Elizabeth should regularly issue press releases regarding
municipal issues and activities. Press releases should be sent to print media,
radio, television and online content providerssocial media accounts.
2. The town website should maintain an easily located and regularly maintained
section listing the status of current projects, initiatives, and issues.
3. The town shall create a weekly newsletter which includes recent news,
meeting reports, notifications of upcoming meetings, and project udpates.
1.4.The town shall consider contracting with a third-party platform to provide a
means for direct citizen input and engagement online on current projects,
initiatives, and issues.
5. The Town Manager shall provide several updates each month on municipal
activities that may be of interest to the public. These shall be sent to the same list
as press releases.
6. The Town Manager’s Monthly Report will be published monthly following
Town Council meetings.
7. The public information coordinator shall request updates from department heads
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and committee staff on a cyclical basis and/or as needed.
2.8.The Town Council Chair shall consider providing written updates on issues of
their choosing and shall consider requesting that fellow councilors provide
updates specific agenda items and/or on subcommittee news on a rotating basis.

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3.9.The Town should considershall utilize a message board or consider installing an
electronic message signthe placement of an electronic message sign on town
property at the recycling center to provide important official messages.
10. CETV should continue to broadcast regular meetings of the Town Council,
School Board, Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals. Programming on
CETV shall be expanded to include programs focusing on the activities of
municipal departments.
11. Remote Participation shall be utilized for all Town Council meetings and
workshops, Planning Board meetings, Zoning Board of Appeals meetings as
technology allows.
4.12.
Additional video recording devices, such as the “Owl,” shall be
considered for use by other boards and committees.
5.13.
The tax bill should contain an insert each time that outlines current
municipal information.
6.14.
The Town Council shall annually invite public input on citizen priorities
prior to the annual goal setting process.
7.15.
The Town Council will seek opportunities to speak to local groups on
topics of interest to citizens.
II.

Meeting Rooms and Meeting Procedures Should Enable Public Engagement

The town shall consider installing an electronic message board within Town Hall
Council Chambers or Tax Office notifiying the public of upcoming meetings with times
and locations.
The three four major meeting rooms at the Town Hall need updating. The Town
Council chamber has poor acoustics., and the seating is crowded for many meetings. The
Council dais takes up more than half of the room with its ramp, its angle, and the need
to have space between its elevated position and the first row of seating.
The William H. Jordan Conference Room is often overcrowded, is not easy to find for
new visitors and has heating challenges. Its accessibility through a wheel chair lift does
not meet current standards.
The 2nd floor conference room near the ACP office also has little room for the public and
is difficult to reach.
The lower-level conference room is not well marked and possibly not ADA compliant.
A.

Meeting Space

A study should be undertaken to see if meeting spaces at the Town Hall could be changed
to add public seating, to improve sound projection, and to enhance the opportunity for
public engagement at meetings. As part of this study, surplus space at the Cape Elizabeth

Page 12 of 45

Police Department should be reviewed to potentially free up additional space for
meetings at the Town Hall.
B.

Participation at Meetings

All Town Council meetings and meetings of advisory boards and commissions should
provide an opportunity for members of the public to speak. Each board shall develop
procedural rules in accordance with Maine law that enable this participation to occur
while still ensuring there is an opportunity for the board to conduct its deliberations.

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III.

Citizens will Have Opportunities to Impact Local Decision Making
A. Except for emergency special meetings, at least 72 hours notice of any municipal
meeting shall be provided. The notice shall include a copy of the agenda for the
meeting posted on the calendar section of the municipal website.
B. The Town should continue to expand the online availability of documents related
to agenda items.
C. Every agenda shall contain a brief summary of the procedures for public
participation at a meeting.
D. The procedural rules for each board and commission shall be posted on the
website.
E. The Town will continue to provide an opportunity to e-mail boards and
commissions directly via the municipal website.

IV.

Municipal Information, Both Online and in Print, Will Have a Clearly
Recognized Identity.

The Town does not have a uniform logo or mark identifying itself. There are different
versions of the Town seal and municipal departments have developed their own identity
marks.
A. It is recommended that the Town update its Town logo to a single identifying
mark for all municipal departments. This mark or logo should be created utilizing
volunteer talent within the community.
B. The new mark shall be utilized on municipal vehicles, on letterheads, on agendas,
on municipal publications, on the website and on signage when appropriate.
C. The new mark shall convey a positive image and identity for the Town of Cape
Elizabeth.

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V.

Communications Training
A. The Town Council will include as part of its own orientation process and as
part of the training process for boards and commissions, a discussion of
communications strategy and the importance of providing the public timely
information and meaningful input into policy deliberations. This shall
include specific training on Maine’s statutes relating to access to public
meetings and public information.
B. The Town Manager should include as part of the professional development
and training opportunities for all employees workshops and seminars
related to effective communication.

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Town of Cape Elizabeth Online
Operating Guidelines
The Town of Cape Elizabeth, ME provides a municipal website at the address
www.capeelizabeth.com and a website focusing on Portland Head Light at
www.portlandheadlight.com. These guidelines do not apply to any website provided by
the Cape Elizabeth School Department.
The Town of Cape Elizabeth does not provide official blogging sites.
Purpose of the Municipal Website. The purpose of the municipal website is to provide
timely information to citizens and other parties regarding municipal services and
municipal and school activities in the Town of Cape Elizabeth and to promote the public
health, safety and welfare. The Town of Cape Elizabeth homepage is not intended to be a
forum for expressive activity by members of the public or by government officials;
instead it should provide neutral information and data and links which do not espouse
specific views. Citizens and officials may be quoted in news articles appearing on the
homepage and in the news archive and any such articles with quotations shall endeavor to
represent multiple viewpoints. Copies of e-mails sent to the Town of Cape Elizabeth may
be posted on the website as detailed in the privacy policy.
Webmaster Responsibility. The webmaster is responsible for the daily operation of the
website. The webmaster makes independent editorial judgments on stories appearing on
the home page and on other pages, determines the order of links on any page, makes
judgments on links that are acceptable pursuant to these guidelines and regularly updates
information on the website. Anyone wishing to appeal a judgment of the webmaster may
make an appeal in writing to the Town Manager who shall respond in writing within five
working days.
Web links. For purposes of these guidelines, an “external link” is a link to a website
maintained by an outside party. An “internal link” is a link to a portion of the Town
website that is maintained by the webmaster or by an operating agreement with the
Town.
External Links. Any request for an external link shall be submitted to the webmaster in
writing through the “contact us” section of the Town website. To be approved, an
external link must go to a website that has information specifically related to the Town of
Cape Elizabeth. External links must fit within one of the following categories:
•
•
•
•
•

Local Organizations/ Local Places of Worship
Area Businesses and Real Estate
Local Attractions
Local News and Weather
Travel, Tourism and Entertainment

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•
•

Government Services
Services from Not for Profit Agencies

The Town website will not provide links to sites that promote or exhibit bias,
discrimination, pornography, libelous or otherwise defamatory content. The Town
website will not link to websites or blogs where anonymous commenting is permitted
except to sites of news organizations requiring registration of commenters.
The Town reserves the right to determine how and where external links will appear on its
website.
Internal Links. The webmaster has discretion as to the placement of internal links.
Privacy Statement. The website shall contain a privacy statement with the following
wording:

Privacy Policy for the Official Website of the Town of Cape Elizabeth, Maine
The Town of Cape Elizabeth does not capture personal information about visitors to our
websites without their permission. We endeavor to collect only the minimum amount of
information needed to meet the purposes for which the website was created.
Public Disclosure
All information collected on the Town of Cape Elizabeth website and Portland Head
Light website - including online form submissions and e-mails generated to and from email links -- will be treated the same as any written communication and is subject to the
confidentiality and public disclosure provisions of 1 MRSA Chapter 13.
PRIVACY STATEMENT
We may collect some or all of the following information about visitors who view or
download information from our websites:
Date -- Date the visit occurred.
Time -- Time the visit occurred.
Client IP -- Unique Internet Protocol (IP) address of the website visitor. The IP address
recorded is normally that of the visitor's Internet provider, e.g., aol.com if the visitor
connects from an America Online account.
HTTP Status -- Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) error code. i.e., "404 Requested
Page Not Found."
HTTP Request URL -- Identifies the Web page or file requested by the website visitor.

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Bytes Sent -- Amount of data sent from the Web server to website visitor during that
connection.
Bytes Received -- Amount of data sent from website visitor to the Web server.
User Agent -- Type of Web browser or other client software that made request to the Web
server.
Referrer -- Uniform Resource Locator (URL) that referred to the requested file.
Protocol Version -- Version of HTTP used by the visitor's Web browser software.
In addition, we may collect the Date, Time, Client IP and/or Referrer on clicks that take
visitors to external links.
The information we collect is used to improve the content of our Web services and help
us understand how people are using our services. We analyze our website logs to
continually improve the value of the materials available on our site. The information in
our website logs is not personally identifiable, and we make no attempt to link it with the
individuals who browse our website.
Some of this statistical information, such as a running count of the number of visitors,
may be displayed on the website or shared with anyone who requests it.
Search Engine Statistics
The Town of Cape Elizabeth also gathers statistics about visitors who use our search
engine. As with the viewer statistics described above, the town uses this information to
better serve its customers.
The statistics we gather about users of the search engine are:
Date and Time of Use
Keywords or Terms searched for
Client IP (see definition in section above)
Directories searched on our site
Number of documents found
Number of documents searched.
As with the visitor statistics, the search engine statistics are not personally identifiable
and no attempt is made to link them with the individuals that browse our website.

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RSS Feeds
The websites may make available RSS feeds. The service providing the Town the
capability of RSS feeds may track subscriptions and IP addresses utilizing the service and
may provide the information to the Town.
Personally Identifiable Information
"Personally identifiable information" is information about a person that is readily
identifiable to that specific individual. It includes, for example, an individual's name,
street address, e-mail address, or phone number.
Personally identifiable information will not be collected unless you voluntarily send an email message, fill out and send an online form. Your choice not to participate in these
activities will not impair your ability to access certain information or obtain a service
online.
Unless specifically protected under state law, any information provided may be inspected
by the public or disclosed in a legal proceeding. This includes personally identifiable
information submitted by town staff for staff purposes.
E-mail Senders
E-mail messages, sent to any Town of Cape Elizabeth government address, will be
treated the same as any other written communication.
They are subject to public inspection or legal disclosure and are saved in accordance with
Maine statutes.
E-mail or other information requests sent to the Town website are maintained in order to
respond to the request, forward that request to the appropriate agency, or to provide the
Web designer with valuable customer feedback to assist in improving the site.
E-mail sent using the “Contact Us” feature of the municipal website are public records.
E-mails sent to the Town’s elected officials as a group and to other standing boards and
commissions may be posted on the Town website for viewing by any party. Responses of
individual elected officials or appointed officials are not posted on the website unless the
official specifically directs them to the online area for e-mails. All e-mails are available
by request to the Cape Elizabeth Town Clerk.
Electronic Form Filers Any other information provided by a visitor at the request of a
department of the Town of Cape Elizabeth, such as the completion and electronic filing
of a form, will be considered to be voluntarily provided by the visitor and will be treated
in the same manner as information provided in written form or in person during a visit to
the agency. Information provided may be subject to public inspection and legal disclosure
and may be saved for a period of time before it is destroyed. It may be shared with
anyone who requests it.

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InforME Subscribers The Town of Cape Elizabeth links to the "Rapid Renewal" online
vehicle re-registration process offered by the State of Maine through InforME.
(Information Resource of Maine) The files we download from the State update our
vehicle history file, which includes all the information on a vehicle registration including
fees.
We, the Town, are not allowed to give information regarding vehicle registrations. We
refer anyone who requests such information to the State of Maine Bureau of Motor
Vehicles.
Cookies
Cookies are small files that a site or its service provider transfers to your computers hard
drive through your Web browser (if you allow) that enables the sites or service providers
systems to recognize your browser and capture and remember certain information
The Town of Cape Elizabeth and Portland Head Light websites use cookies on publically
accessed pages to compile aggregate data about site traffic and site interaction so that we
can offer better site experiences and tools in the future. We may contract with third-party
service providers to assist us in better understanding our site visitors. These service
providers are not permitted to use the information collected on our behalf except to help
us conduct and improve our business.
Disclaimer
Neither the Town of Cape Elizabeth, nor any agency, officer, or employee of the Town of
Cape Elizabeth warrants the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of any information
published on the Town of Cape Elizabeth website, nor endorses any products or services
linked from the system, and shall not be held liable for any losses caused by reliance on
the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of such information.
Portions of the information may be incorrect or not current. Any person or entity that
relies on any information obtained from this system does so at his or her own risk.
Various websites may be linked through the Town of Cape Elizabeth website. Visitors to
those sites are advised to check the privacy statements of those sites and be cautious
about providing personally identifiable information without a clear understanding of how
the information will be used. This Privacy Statement does not apply to linked sites that
are not affiliated with the Town of Cape Elizabeth.
Contact Information To offer comments about the Town of Cape Elizabeth website or
about information presented in this Privacy Statement, contact
[email protected]

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DRAFT
Dear Pat,
Below is a draft of a new job description for a full-time Public Communications
Coordinator. I shared this with Mike McGovern prior to moving into my new expanded
role. Formerly, my title was Webmaster and was considered part-time. The new title
combines the role of the town webmaster and CETV coordinator, which collectively
account for 30+ hours a week. The intent is to combine the two roles into one title
which more accurately reflects not only the general purpose/intention of this role, but
also supports draft revisions I have made to the Communication’s Strategy of July
2010.
In addition, new duties (shown in purple) are included to support the council’s goal of
“Improving and enhancing municipal and council communications.”
New duties are shown in purple and the remaining duties have been updated/edited
to reflect their purposes more accurately and are taken from the current job
descriptions of the webmaster and CETV coordinator.

Public Information Officer – 40/week
GENERAL PURPOSE
The general purpose of the Public Information Officer is to facilitate the dissemination
of town news and updates so to ensure the public is engaged, informed, and heard via
the Town’s website, social media accounts, email subscriptions, and
streaming/broadcasting on local cable services.

The secondary purpose is to maintain a website for the Town of Cape Elizabeth which
provides users with efficient and complete access to all information pertaining to the
governing of the town.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED
Works under the supervision of the Town Manager.
SUPERVISION EXERCISED
Supervises and trains producers of town meeting broadcasts using CETV technology.

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ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILTIES
Watches televised meetings of the Town Council and School Board, writes reports on
agenda items of their choosing or as requested by the Town Manager or department
heads and posts those reports on the town website, social media, and email
subscription services.

In times of emergency, posts notices or advisories to the website, social media, and
bulletin board in a timely manner.
Works with the Town Clerk during election season to post live election results and
maintain the Elections & Voting page is kept up to date.
Participates in regular full department-head meetings to gain insight into critical issues
and/or messaging needs.
Edits, rewrites (if necessary) and posts news releases submitted by the Town Manger
and/or town department heads.
Communicates with the Town Manager on a weekly basis to receive direction on
important updates, messaging, and announcements.
Reaches out to department heads on a regular basis for updates or messaging.
Implements and maintains a citizen-engagement projects platform on the website to
keep citizens informed on recent projects and initiatives, and allows for citizen input.
This will be facilitated with a new platform coming to the website, from Zencity.
Solicits regular input from Town Council Chair and subcommittee heads for posting on
website, newsletter, and social media.
Solicits input from board and committee staff on a regular, cyclical schedule for posting
on website, newsletter, and social media.
Coordinates a newsletter which collects recent news stories, updates, and special
events.

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Posts public meetings of the Town Council, School Board, town boards, town
committees, and subcommittees thereof on the website and informs the public of said
meetings via email subscription service and weekly announcement of meetings.
Provides the community with a regularly updated Community Events page of local and
surrounding neighborhoods’ events and important dates.
Posts job openings and RFPs as needed.
Works with the School Department staff to attain and post School Board agendas,
meeting materials, and CETV scheduling.
Schedules and records livestream meetings; posts recording of video links to town
website.
Coordinates and trains CETV producers for town meetings, and submits producers’
timesheets to payroll.
Updates community cable bulletin board with submissions from Cape Elizabeth
organizations attained through online form, by email or other communications.
Responds to public inquiries about CETV programming.
Assures public-access users complete appropriate forms and releases.
Maintains town membership in Community Television Association of Maine and in the
Community Television Network/Portland Media.
Communicates technical equipment needs to town staff.

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City of South Portland 3-Year Communications Plan
2024-2026
This communication plan is based on the results of the City of South Portland’s
2023 Communications Survey, completed by over 592 community members. The
plan is designed to guide the city’s communications strategy and content.

The Big Picture

Overall, our community is pretty happy with how we communicate, with about 89%
saying they are satisfied. However, most people (65%) only feel "somewhat
knowledgeable" about what’s actually happening in the City. Our goal is to bridge
that gap and move more people from "somewhat" to "very" knowledgeable.

Where People Find Us

We have some very strong core channels. The top ways people currently get their
info are:
●​ Local News (48.8%)
●​ City E-Newsletter (48.3%)
●​ City Website (46.9%)
●​ Social Media (44.6%)
Strategic Channel Guide
Channel
City Website
E-Newsletter
Facebook
Instagram
Text Alerts

Why it matters
Quick Strategy
It's our digital front door. Prioritize ease of finding
info (top priority for 86%).
People are loyal; nearly
Keep the biweekly
40% read every issue.
schedule—most don't want
it more or less often.
It’s our biggest social
Post a few times a week to
platform – about 50% of
match when followers are
respondents follow us.
most active.
Our second biggest social Great for the photographs
channel, used by about
residents say they want to
25%.
see (47%).
Massive opportunity.
63% of residents want
updates via text message.

​

What We Should Talk About

When planning content, focus on these top interests:
●​ The "Must-Haves": City events (78%), programs/initiatives (66%), and

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infrastructure updates like road closures (64%).
●​ Safety & Logistics: Public safety/weather alerts (62%) and election info
(49%).
●​ What they want more of: People are hungry for "Project Spotlights" (55%), a
"Did You Know?" educational series (46%), and coverage of City events (44%).
●​ Format Matters: Stick to text-based articles as the primary format (82%),
but lean into photos (47%) and short videos (27%) to keep it engaging.

Website Redesign Priorities

Since the website is being revamped, we need to ensure it meets these
user-specific needs:

●​ Think Mobile First: Over half (52%) of our residents access our site via
smartphone.
●​ Make it Easy: People primarily visit to find specific info (86%), pay bills or
submit applications (48%), and find contact information (42%).
●​ Report Problems: 37% want a very clear way to report issues or problems.

Ways to Level Up

●​ Neighborhood Groups: 36% of people use Nextdoor or local Facebook
groups for City info. We should engage there rather than just waiting for
them to come to us.
●​ New Texting Pilot: Given the high demand (63%), we should explore a
text-alert system for time-sensitive news and events.
●​ Expand Our Reach: Our survey respondents were mostly over 50 (65%) and
White (90%). We need specific outreach to younger residents and our
diverse communities to make sure everyone is in the loop.

Information & Sources:

This plan was generated with the assistance of Google Gemini. The following
document was used in its production:
●​ 2024 City of South Portland Communication Survey Results.pdf

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City of South Portland 3-Year Communications Plan
2027-2029
Looking Back

We have made significant progress in executing the 2024-2026 Communications
Plan. Through a combination of digital infrastructure upgrades, proactive
community engagement, and responsiveness to public feedback, the City has
successfully moved from the strategic framework outlined in the 2024 plan to
active implementation.
The City’s communications efforts from 2024 to 2026 reflect a concerted effort to
align with the survey-driven goals of the Communications Plan.
●​ Branding: We completed a successful roll-out period for our new brand.
Launched in April 2023, the City’s first logo redesign in over 30 years gives
a fresh and more engaging look to South Portland communications.​
●​ Website Redesign and Accessibility: The City successfully prioritized a
digital-first approach. The website overhaul of 2023-2024 focused on ease
of navigation, mobile accessibility, and clear paths for users to report
issues and conduct city business. The City also proactively incorporated
digital accessibility (ADA compliance) standards into its outreach, ensuring
that new flyers and web content are accessible.​
●​ Transparency and Public Engagement: The City has consistently provided
information and engagement opportunities for major City initiatives (e.g.,
the Mahoney City Center Project, ALPR technology usage, the SoPo 2040
Comprehensive Plan). The City’s new website enables community members
to sign up for email alerts when new information is posted on the City site in
categories they care about. We have hundreds subscribe to our website
alerts, including Tax Bill due date reminders, calendar events, job postings,
and more.​
●​ Diverse Outreach Channels: The City has grown its digital footprint
through regular e-newsletters and social media updates, consistently
performing above industry averages in engagement. The City added two
communications channels, NextDoor and LinkedIn, based on survey input.
We also significantly expanded our press contacts from a few dozen in
2022 at the launch of the communications office to a few hundred in 2026.
The City sent regular press releases and posted regular website updates to
ensure wide coverage of public meetings, events, programs, activities, and
more.​
●​ Project & Traffic Updates: We prioritized providing regular project updates

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and traffic alerts, in response to community desire for this content.​
●​ Proactive Positive Storytelling: The City features uplifting stories from the
community and the City (ex: staff spotlights and awards, community events,
nonprofit events) on multiple channels. Partnership with SPC-TV has
provided excellent and popular video content to share such stories.​
●​ Myth Busting: The City launched the Myths vs. Facts series, which provides
factual information to counter misinformation. Many communities have
followed suit.​
●​ Neighborhood Group Engagement: The City engages in selective
communications in neighborhood forums (ex: Facebook groups) to provide
critical updates and correct misinformation.

Looking Ahead

While the City has made strong gains, data from the 2024 survey and ongoing
operational needs highlight several areas for continued focus in the next
three-year cycle:
●​ Targeted Demographic Outreach: The 2024 survey revealed that
respondents were predominantly over 50 (65%) and White (90%). Targeted
outreach strategies are still required to better engage younger residents
and more diverse communities to ensure the "City’s voice" reaches all
demographics​
●​ Formalizing Neighborhood Group Engagement: The 2024 plan identified
neighborhood groups (Nextdoor, local Facebook groups) as a key
information source for 36% of residents. We must formalize our
engagement strategy for these smaller, hyper-local digital communities.​
●​ Text-Alert System: The 2024 survey indicated that 63% of residents were
interested in receiving updates via text message. While the City has
successfully leveraged email and social media, establishing a dedicated
text-alert system for time-sensitive news remains a high-demand
opportunity for future expansion.​
●​ Content Diversification: Residents expressed a strong desire for more
"Project Spotlights," "Did You Know?" educational series, and coverage of
city events. The next communications plan should build on the current
strategy by increasing these specific content types to further boost
engagement.​
●​ Expansion of Feedback Mechanisms: Recognizing the need for data-driven
engagement, the City implemented the FlashVote platform to gather

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representative public input, which serves as a powerful tool to inform
policy and gauge resident sentiment. This supports the goal of bridging the
gap between "somewhat" and "very" knowledgeable residents.

Priority Actions in 2027-2029
●​ Understand Community Needs and Priorities - Conduct a new
communications survey. Build a 3-year communications plan that reflects
the needs and addresses the gaps in the city’s communications.​
●​ Get Representative Feedback - Launch the FlashVote platform and engage
residents with the tool to gain scientifically valid input from the whole
community to guide staff and City Council’s decisions.​
●​ Elevate Digital Accessibility - Create and implement a plan to comply with
the new federal rules for web accessibility.​
●​ Get News in People’s Hands - Work with partners to strategize how to fill
the void left by the Sentry local newspaper. Take action to raise local
awareness of municipal topics.​
●​ Engage and Delight - Provide opportunities for members of the public to
become more involved and invested in the City, and to enjoy doing so. Tell
stories to help people feel like an important part of the City fabric.​
●​ Solid Policy and Procedures - Revise current policies and procedures (ex:
social media policy) and create new ones when necessary to help the City
effectively communicate with the public and foster public trust.​
●​ Build Greater Connections - Partner with local organizations and
businesses, and foster collaboration across departments, to produce
greater community synergy and broaden/deepen links in the community.

Strategic Communications Plan
1. Goals and Objectives
Your plan must define what you want to achieve.Goals: Broad, primary outcomes
(e.g., "increase brand awareness" or "reduce confusion around a new
policy").Objectives: Specific, measurable, and time-bound benchmarks (e.g.,
"increase newsletter open rates to 40% by Q4").
2. Target Audiences
Determine exactly who you need to reach. This might include internal teams,
external stakeholders, customers, or the media. You should segment your

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audience based on their needs, demographics, and preferred ways of receiving
information.
3. Key Messages
The core information or primary narrative you want to share with each audience.
Messages should be tailored so they resonate personally and address the specific
challenges of that audience group.
4. Channels, Tactics, and Frequency
The methods you will use to distribute your key messages.Channels: The platforms
(e.g., email, Slack, Asana, town hall meetings, or press releases).Frequency: The
cadence of your communications (e.g., daily check-ins, weekly status reports, or
monthly executive reviews).
5. Roles and Owners
Accountability is vital. Establish exactly who is responsible for drafting, sending,
and managing the responses for each type of communication.
6. Timeline and Budget
Larger plans require an execution schedule and an outline of necessary costs.
This plots out when specific tasks are due and the resources required to execute
the tactics.
7. Evaluation and Measurement
Outline how you will determine if the plan was successful. This usually involves
identifying metrics (like engagement rates or survey results) to measure
performance against your initial objectives.

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MARKETING &
COMMUNICATIONS GUIDE

scarboroughmaine.org

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

3 BACKGROUND
4 PRIORITIES AND GOALS
5 AREAS OF FOCUS
6 GUIDING PRINCIPLES
7 PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT CORE PRINCIPLES
8 TARGET AUDIENCES
9 COMMUNICATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT TOOLS
10 KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
11 STAGES OF COMMUNICATIONS PLANNING
12 FRAMEWORK
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BACKGROUND
The Town of Scarborough is a community of 23,000 residents,
spanning 42 square miles of coast, forest, marsh, agriculture,
and developed environments. Effective communication is
essential to keep our growing community informed of the Town
of Scarborough’s efforts to enhance the quality of where we
live, work, explore, and recreate. We strive to provide awareness
around general town topics, issues, projects, Council initiatives,
and more.
The key priorities for Town of Scarborough communications are
accessibility, transparency, timeliness, and public engagement.
Information should be made available to residents in a digestible
format that encourages interest and involvement in local decision
making.
Communications efforts support Town departments and the
Scarborough Town Council. Many of the annual messages are
guided by the Town Council’s goals for the year ahead. They are
also informed by results of recent community surveys. The Town
takes a proactive approach to build a communications plan that
addresses current newsworthy happenings balanced with ongoing
issues of interest to residents. These broader topics include:
• Fiscal responsibility
• Conservation
• Growth and development
• Capital projects/investments
• Traffic and transportation
Effective communication relies on involvement from
administrative leaders, department directors and employees, and
the Town Council. Collaboration ensures that residents are made
aware of Town information in a timely manner.

PAGE 3

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PRIORITIES AND GOALS
STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS EFFORTS
• Be proactive and lead the narrative on town issues
• Capitalize on opportunities to highlight Town accomplishments

TRANSPARENCY AND ACCESSIBILITY
• Inform on what’s happening and make further
details and materials available
• Strengthen public confidence to build trust in
Town government
• Share content across communication channels
to enhance reach

ENGAGED TOWN COUNCIL

Established goals
set a clear direction
and purpose for the
role of municipal
communications.

• Provide outlets for councilor messaging
• Collaborate with council communications
committee for aligned messaging and priorities

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
• Support visibility to public engagement opportunities to encourage attendance
• Highlight board and committee updates to showcase them as opportunities for
residents to become more involved in town interests
• Use Scarborough events as opportunity for outreach and connection

BRAND IDENTITY AND VISIBILITY
• Display and maintain a visible community presence
• Use logo and branding consistently and appropriately in all communications and
engagement efforts
• Manage and share Town style guide to ensure proper use

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AREAS OF FOCUS
The Town of Scarborough communications personnel are
responsible for providing comprehensive outreach and
information to the community and its residents. Information is
conveyed in a timely, accurate, relevant, and consistent manner.
These efforts help to build trust with our local government.

• Strategic Communications
• Community Engagement
• Public Relations
• Marketing and Branding

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of 45

GUIDING PRINCIPLES
TELL OUR OWN STORY
It is the responsibility of the Town, not the media, to keep its
community members informed. When community members
are well informed, they can participate more effectively in their
government. With several projects moving forward on any given
day, Town achievements can oftentimes be overlooked or go
unnoticed. The Town has the opportunity to capitalize on its
ongoing work and initiatives by sharing what’s happening.

BE PROACTIVE
The Town knows that strategic communications are necessary to
meet the interests of the community. Communications plans are
designed to meet set objectives and anticipate responses.

PROMOTE DECENTRALIZED
COMMUNICATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT
Town communications is most effective when the information
comes from the source, the respective department. The role of
communications staff is to disseminate information accordingly
and layer strategic messaging over this information to make it
more interesting to our audience. It is essential for the Town to
empower departments to see their work as content opportunities
that would be beneficial to share at a town level.

STRONG THEMES VERSUS SCATTERED
MESSAGES
Communications is easiest for our target audience to follow when
it’s deliberate and repeated thematically. This approach also
gives staff a direction, or “north star”, for providing purposeful
information that resonates with community members. While
internally information funnels together from decentralized
sources, it should not appear disjointed if executed correctly.

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PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT CORE PRINCIPLES

Bringing the community together on an issue is critical for transparency and inclusive
decision making. The following principles guide the process.

CAREFUL PLANNING AND PREPARATION

Through adequate and inclusive planning, ensure that the design, organization,
and convening of the process serve a clearly defined purpose and the needs of the
participants.

INCLUSION AND DEMOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY

Equitably incorporate diverse people, voices, ideas, and information to lay the
groundwork for quality outcomes and democratic legitimacy.

COLLABORATION AND SHARED PURPOSE

Support and encourage participants, government and community institutions, and
others to work together to advance the common good.

OPENNESS AND LEARNING
Help all involved listen to each other, explore new ideas unconstrained by
predetermined outcomes, learn and apply information in ways that generate new
options, and rigorously evaluate the process.

TRANSPARENCY AND TRUST

Be clear and open about the process, and provide a public record of the organizers,
sponsors, outcomes, and range of views and ideas expressed.

IMPACT AND ACTION
Ensure each participatory effort has real potential to make a difference, and that
participants are aware of that potential.

SUSTAINED ENGAGEMENT AND PARTICIPATORY CULTURE
Promote a culture of participation with programs and institutions that support ongoing
quality public engagement.
Source: National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation - Resource Guide

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of 45

TARGET AUDIENCES
Knowing the audience is key to an effective communications and
engagement plan.

INTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS
• Town Council
• Town Manager
• Employees

EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS
• Scarborough residents (New, Longtime)
• Community members
• Neighborhood groups
• Nonprofit organizations
• Prospective residents
• Visitors
• Realtors
• Seniors
• Businesses
• Youth
• News media

COMMUNITY PARTNERS
• Scarborough Schools
• Scarborough Public Library
• Scarborough Economic Development Corporation
(SEDCO)
• Project GRACE
• Rotary Club of Scarborough
• Scarborough Lions Club

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COMMUNICATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT TOOLS
Many of the following tools may be implemented for a communications plan, depending on the
project objectives and target audience. The emphasis we put on each may vary. We also expect
these tools to evolve over time, so part of this process includes monitoring for performance, reach,
and engagement so we can adapt as needed.

PRINT
• Direct mail
• Flyers
• Postcards
• Tax Bill Inserts

DIGITAL

MEDIA
Print and online
• Scarborough Leader
- Press releases
- “In the Know” column
- “Council Corner” column

• Email Newsletter (Bi-Weekly)
OTHER
• Town Website: Town Calendar, QR codes
• Electronic messaging (Town sign)
• Social Media: Facebook, Instagram
• CodeRED alerts
YouTube, X*, Nextdoor*, LinkedIn*
• Advertisements*
*Not actively using

PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
• Town-hosted community events
(tabling)
• Committee open houses/public
forums
• Community/neighborhood meetings
• Town Council meetings
• Town Council workshops
•Council Corner Live events
• Elections
• Job fairs (recruitment)
• Door-to-door

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KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
The following tools measure the performance outcomes of our communications efforts.

• Website page views
• Newsletter subscribers
• Newsletter engagement (open rate, click rate,
links clicked)
• Social media followers (Facebook, Instagram)
• Social media engagement (likes, views, shares,
direct messages, reach, comments)

How is our target
audience responding?
Evaluation helps us
know what’s working
and what’s not.

• YouTube video views (public meetings, other)
• Number of surveys completed
• Election participation
• Event/meeting attendance

OTHER
• Social media comments
• Community survey results
• Media coverage
• Town Council emails (What are
people reacting to? What is the
sentiment?)
• Social media commentary on local
pages/groups

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STAGES OF COMMUNICATIONS
PLANNING
Communications plans are developed by communications staff
in collaboration with administrative leadership and respective
departments. Plans vary based on the project or issue, but all follow
a similar process from plan to implementation and modification/
analysis. A team approach is important for success.

1. COMMUNICATIONS STAFF WORKS WITH
DEPARTMENT STAFF
Communications Manager meets with department staff to strategize
communication and engagement efforts. At this starting point,
the department staff has already identified areas of need and has
important dates noted. The discussion includes project background/
understanding, messaging, timeline, communication channels,
goals, and other important details. Department staff share relevant
materials that will support content development or should be
included on the webpage.

2. PLAN DEVELOPMENT
Communications staff take the information from meeting and
develops a plan that includes:
• Mission/purpose
• Measureable goals
• Key messages
• Target audience
• Timeline

3. PLAN REVIEW
Department staff reviews plan and modifies as needed. Others
involved: Administrative leadership, Town Council communications
committee.

4. PLAN IMPLEMENTATION
Once reviewed, the plan is implemented.

5. MONITORING, ANALYTICS, AND NEXT STEPS
While the plan is being implemented, communications response is
continually monitored to get a pulse on its effectiveness and general
perception. The plan timeline and/or content is altered as needed.
Communications staff works with department staff throughout the
process. Once the process is complete, it is documented for the
future if it’s an annual plan.

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44 of 45

FRAMEWORK
Each project across departments that involves some level of public engagement should undergo the
exercise of developing a communications framework. This is the first step in a campaign roll-out for
the project.
The following framework was developed as a template for
communications staff to work with departments to align
on key messages, timeline, etc. for their project. A single
template used across departments ensures a consistent
approach and organization to Town of Scarborough
communications.

FRONT

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Having a plan keeps
all involved staff in
the loop through the
duration.

BACK

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