City staff lays out outreach 'go bag' and targeted events to reach new residents

City staff presented a new outreach plan and tools designed to help Longmont council members connect with residents and gather targeted feedback.

The plan centers on three components—resources, events and other tactics—and includes a portable "go bag" of materials (topic one-pagers, QR-code surveys, a tablet for in-person input and occasional tokens such as recreation passes) that council members can take to farmers markets, parks and neighborhood events. "Our community engagement plan is not about kissing hands and shaking babies," staff said, describing the initiative as information-driven outreach designed to solicit useful public feedback.

Why it matters: Council members said the city regularly sees repeat participants at events and want more "first-timers" in attendance. Staff proposed short, one-question monthly surveys, a new newsletter portal for sign-ups and partnerships with youth council and multicultural organizations to reach underrepresented groups.

Council suggestions and concerns included rotating topic-focused town halls, neighborhood walking audits to identify local barriers, and special pop-up events (from boba gatherings to ice-cream rides) that better match the habits of target demographics. Several council members recommended tracking new attendees as a success metric and using brief post-event surveys to measure whether outreach reached intended audiences.

Next steps: Staff will prepare outreach materials, develop short survey templates and a process for adding council outreach events to the public calendar. The outreach items will be folded into the council action plan packet for the next regular meeting, where members can confirm which menu items to pursue.