The Colusa County Board of Supervisors last week approved a strategic communications plan that should keep the county’s contracted communications consultant busy for life after COVID-19.
The plan, which the board rejected the first time it was presented, continues to retain Caporusso Communications to develop and distribute information about county and community programs.
Colusa County first contracted with Justin Caporusso in 2021 to assist in executing the county’s COVID-19 communication plan, which included writing press releases and managing information on the county’s website and social media accounts – and to put a “positive spin” on the information they give the public.
Under the new plan, Caporusso will stay on with a $3,750 per month ($45,000 annually) retainer to provide regular and ongoing online communications about County of Colusa and other local programs, and help to develop the county’s quarterly online publication “Colusa County Connections.”
The goal, officials said, is to highlight county programs and “successes,” and provide a source for information about community events, proclamations, resolutions, and to recognize people that serve the community.
“It’s just another way of getting information out there to the public,” said Colusa County Chief Administrative Officer Wendy Tyler, who added that with 22,000 people in the community, the county should do more to be transparent with their communications.
The cost, in addition to Caporusso’s contract, has not yet been determined, but executing the plan may require considerable staff time, officials said.
The plan calls for recurring 60-minute meetings of an “Executive Leadership Roundtable,” which includes Tyler and potential participants, such as the Chamber of Commerce, managers of the cities of Colusa and Williams, and the County County Farm.
Supervisor Denise Carter said she would like to see all department heads participate or their designated staff, although it would not be required.
The purpose of the roundtable is to “provide a forum to share updates and events,” the plan states. The format calls for recurring 60 minute roundtables, led by a designated facilitator, with agendas established in advance and report-outs from each “member” agency.
The plan will also allow the county to centralize communication to a single source so that multiple departments do not give conflicting information. The plan, however, does not replace any existing emergency communications plans, such as the Colusa Operational Area Tactical Interoperable Communication Plan, Tyler said.
The new plan largely sets parameters for ongoing communications regarding county business. The board claims the plan is not intended to promote propaganda by using public funds to conform the views of citizens to the county’s own – either through direct communication or through the suppression of inconvenient information, officials said.
“I think it is important to get something in place and we can always tweak it later,” said Chairman Merced Corona. “There may be some tweaking that needs to take place in the next year or so as things come up.” ■