Communication & Transparency

What I Believe:

Good communication builds trust.

Residents should have easy access to information about decisions that impact their homes, neighborhoods, businesses, and tax dollars. City communication should be proactive, timely, clear, and easy to access.

We have more tools available to communicate with residents than ever before. Our website, email, social media, text notifications, video, digital surveys, and other platforms give us the ability to meet people where they are and make local government more accessible.

But good communication isn't just about sending information out. It requires listening, too.

I believe we should continue looking for meaningful opportunities to create two-way conversations—giving residents a regular chance to ask questions, share ideas, raise concerns, and better understand the decisions shaping our community.

What I’m Hearing:

One of the consistent themes I'm hearing from residents is a desire for more timely information and greater context around important City issues. People want to know what's happening, understand the decisions being considered, and know where they can go to learn more or share their perspective.

Meeting agendas and official notices will always be an important part of City communication, but today we have an opportunity to reach residents in even more ways.

Residents have different schedules, different levels of involvement, and different ways they prefer to receive information. We shouldn't expect everyone to regularly check a City website or attend every Council meeting to understand what's happening in their community.

I'm also hearing a desire for more context. People don't just want an announcement after something happens. They want to understand the issue, the options being considered, how a decision could affect them, and how they can participate before the decision is made.

What I’ll Work Toward:

I want Osseo to take a more proactive and modern approach to communication.

That starts with developing a clear communication strategy that identifies what we communicate, when we communicate it, where we communicate it, and how residents can respond.

I'll advocate for better use of the modern communication tools already available to us—from email and social media to text alerts, video updates, digital feedback opportunities, and an easier-to-navigate City website.

Just as importantly, I want us to build a communication plan that lasts beyond any one Council, staff member, or administration. My goal would be to help establish a communication plan with clear processes, expectations, and tools that can be carried forward and continue evolving alongside our community and the technology available to us.

The goal isn't simply to communicate more.

It's to communicate better—earlier, more clearly, across more channels, and with genuine opportunities for residents to be part of the conversation.

An informed community is an engaged community, and an engaged community builds a stronger Osseo.