Radcliffe council hears LTADD pitch for six-month public-information pilot at $12,500

Radcliffe Mayor Duvall invited Daniel London, executive director of the Lincoln Trail Area Development District (LTADD), to present a proposed pilot that would provide outsourced public-information services to the city.

LTADD division chief Katie McGrery described a package of services that includes brand guidelines and templates, media-advisory support, social-media planning with an annual editorial calendar, quarterly long-form videography with social-media cuts, and monthly performance reporting. McGrery said the LTADD team would never post on the city’s behalf without the designated city liaison’s approval.

London proposed a six-month pilot, timed to run to the end of the current budget cycle, at a cost of about $12,500. He framed the pilot as a potential alternative to hiring a full-time public-information officer, saying a single full-time employee would cost roughly $60,000 in salary and about $100,000–$110,000 per year including benefits and employer costs.

Several councilmembers welcomed consistent branding and the prospect of measurable performance metrics, but Councilmember Brown raised concerns about outsourcing: "I want somebody homegrown who is responsive just to the city of Radcliffe," he said, adding he worried Radcliffe might be "the red-headed stepchild" in a large region. McGrery and London offered two safeguards: (1) a contract would name a single city point of contact with final approval authority, and (2) LTADD would provide quarterly reports and allow termination if the service underperformed.

No formal contract was approved at the meeting. Mayor Duvall and LTADD described the arrangement as a pilot with an escape clause; councilmembers said they would review performance and budget implications before committing to a longer-term agreement.

What’s next: Councilmembers asked for additional details on responsibilities and reporting; LTADD said it would provide ongoing updates and that the council could terminate the pilot early if expectations were not met.