Candidates pledge more plain-language communication, town halls and new outreach tools

Candidates at the Ferndale seniors forum emphasized proactive, plain-language outreach to engage residents who do not use social media. Quinn Ziegler and Eddie Sabertini suggested e-newsletters, opt-in text-message alerts and one-page budget summaries; Sabertini proposed town halls and regular office hours. Laura Michalski recommended using existing mailings tied to utility bills as a model and direct mailings for timely notices; she also recommended push notifications and text-based alerts for subscribed residents.

Why it matters: Candidates said clearer and more frequent communication builds trust and improves civic participation — especially for seniors and people not on social media.

Details discussed: Proposals included using existing systems (snow-removal text lists) for broader alerts, piloting a health and wellness commission, holding regular quadrant town halls, and creating distilled one-page guides for budgeting and millage issues. Candidates debated whether to develop a dedicated municipal app, noting apps can be costly and require maintenance; all agreed communication tools must be accessible to residents who are not app users.

Ending: Candidates pledged to pursue a mix of digital and printed outreach, expand town halls and office hours, and produce clearer one-page materials for complex topics; no new communications contract or program was adopted at the forum.