Juneau to hire half-time public information officer

Juneau City Hall
A woman leaves Juneau City Hall on May 10, 2016. (Photo by Rashah McChesney/KTOO)

The City & Borough of Juneau is creating a new half-time position for a public information officer.

It’s part of a long-term goal of the Juneau Assembly to create and implement a communications plan to keep the public informed.

In a memo, City Manager Rorie Watt said communicating with the public and media will always be an “other duty as assigned” for city officials, unless it becomes someone’s primary job.

“Our issue is, is that we need to get ahead of stories. And we need to get ahead of information flow and get it out into the public on a more timely basis,” Watt said.

Watt was updating the Juneau Assembly at its last regular meeting on progress on a city communications plan. To his knowledge, he said the city’s never had a position like this before. He’s worked for the city for 23 years.

Deputy City Manager Mila Cosgrove elaborated on the idea.

“How do we tell the story of what the city does for its citizens? How do we get ahead of ideas, how do we get ahead of issues? Making sure there is substantive information that’s out there for the public to consider as we grapple with community issues,” Cosgrove said.

She said the information officer would work with the Watt’s “communications cabinet,” part of his leadership team. Watt’s responsible for overseeing about 700 city employees.

Some assembly members were critical of the information officer idea. They wanted to know specific tasks that the position would have. The city’s website and social media platforms need work, Assemblyman Loren Jones said.

“If it’s to make sure the public has access to appropriate information on topics that are important to them today, our social media and our website, it’s not doing anybody and any good,” Jones said.

He described struggling to find staff reports on a parking issue that he knew existed on the city’s website.

Cosgrove said she agreed the website needs work. She said public library staff is working on a revision. She said she appreciated the assembly’s direction.

A full-time library assistant position that’s been vacant is being cut down to half-time to cover the $50,000 budgeted for the new position.

Watt explained why he thought it was worthwhile.

“As it is now, each department director has to juggle the needs of information requests, with the needs of running their department, with the needs of getting information ready to feed into assembly committees and packets, with the dozens and dozens of emails that come in every day,” Watt said. “And so we see this as great support for the, you know, myself, Ms. Cosgrove, Ms. Mead, department heads. I think it’s a good use of money.”

Watt said the public information officer position will be advertised this month and he hopes to have someone on board early in the new year.

Jeremy Hsieh

Local News Reporter, KTOO

I dig into questions about the forces and institutions that shape Juneau, big and small, delightful and outrageous. What stirs you up about how Juneau is built and how the city works?

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