City of Champaign Candidates on Communication Strategy with Constituents

This question was created by journalists and community members during the Democracy in CU: Let’s talk solutions to community violence event on March 14th.

Describe your communication strategy with constituents. How will you proactively engage with residents both online and in-person?

MAYOR

Deborah Feinen:

I am available via email at debfeinen@champaignil.gov I am on Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram. I am available through the City at 403-8720 and on my personal cell that I provide to the public at 766-3139. I also have held office hours in various areas throughout the City and at various different times to make myself available for constituents to come and speak to about City issues. I have held office hours since being elected as an At-Large Council Member years ago. I am also always willing to talk City issues at the grocery store or wherever else constituents may see me in the community.

My schedule is busy, but I work to make time to meet with interested Citizens if they request an in-person meeting. I also regularly attend many community events and try my best to get to events when I am requested to be there in my official capacity as Mayor. Of course, I cannot attend them all, but I do attend as many as possible.

Tom Bruno:

My strategy has been to engage citizens in conversation about city issues whenever possible.  My telephone and email address are widely disseminated.

Andrew James Christensen:

Online communication is fast and easy, but too much reliance on it can lead to diminishing returns with transient audiences and unnecessary conflict because of a lack of accountability. I will maintain a city email account, but nothing beats face-to-face communication which is what excites me most about a role on the city council.

I intend to hold recurring public office hours and to join communities in their own meeting spaces. The latter is especially important because there are underrepresented communities who don’t feel welcome in more formal political contexts.

I would also like to invest in upgrades to the city website and communication infrastructure to allow for multi-platform integration and dissemination of up-to-the-minute information. In today’s digital landscape, the city should be relying more heavily on digital forms of communication. Social media feeds and community blogs should be filled with upcoming events and city services in order to encourage citizen participation from an institutional level.

Matthew Gladney:

On any given day, or week, you can find me communicating with the constituents that I serve. I attend a myriad of community events, that encompass neighborhood meetings, cultural events, block parties, city presentations, smoke alarm installations, environmental events, LGBTQ forums, and many more. I am present and available for one-on-one conversations with citizens. I have also hosted several "office hours" sessions across various parts of Champaign, where people can come and talk with me, informally, about any questions or concerns they might have. I have active Facebook and Twitter accounts for my city council positions, where I relay news about the city, and a web site -- matthewgladney.org -- with news and information.

William Kyles:

I enjoy meeting in person, before during and after city council meetings. Because I am pretty active on social media, I have used this as a way to engage citizens. I am also looking at ways that I can distribute a newsletter to share information and engage citizens.

Pattsi Petrie:

I will do exactly what I did as a county board member. I held town halls, held informal coffee meetings, communicated via email, social media, and had a blog. I have always been available to my constituents. The results are that constituents and other residents feel very comfortable communicating with me.

Jon Paul Youakim:

As a public servant I will be regularly available via email and phone to discuss any issues concerning constituents. I am also able to set up times after work hours and on Thursday afternoons to meet with constituents as well. Online I have a Facebook page @YouakimForCouncil or www.facebook.com/YouakimForCouncil where constituents can post or message me with any concerns, questions or comments. I would be happy to attend and engage with groups and neighborhoods in the community as well. Part of my long-term goal is to coordinate programs in the community to break the cycle of poverty and as a results I will be active in many groups so access to me should be made simple.

NOTE: We reached out to Azark Cobbs, Kenton Elmore and Michael LaDue and received no or incomplete responses.