Middletown Targets Earlier, Clearer Outreach In Communications Plan

Middletown Township has adopted a new 22-page communications plan as a way to outline a framework for outreach to residents and other local stakeholders.

The strategic plan was developed over the summer by Julia French, a township resident and Penn State public relations student, under the supervision of Public Information Officer Liz Martin.

The Middletown Township Board of Supervisors voted last month to adopt the plan that lays out existing practices and formalizes guidelines to enhance transparency, consistency, and public engagement across all municipal operations, officials said.

“This communications plan is a 22-page strategic framework for making township communication more transparent, consistent, proactive, and resident-focused,” French said. “A lot of what you’ll see tonight formalizes things we are already doing well while also giving a clear structure for where we can improve.”

The strategy focuses on three core goals: increasing public awareness of municipal services and projects, strengthening the township’s brand, and expanding resident involvement.

The objective, according to French, is helping residents “know more, recognize and trust our information, and have more opportunities to participate.”

Development of the plan was informed by a 653-respondent community communication survey conducted in June.

The survey findings showed a well-established resident base, with 75.7 percent of participants having lived in the township for over 20 years.

According to the data, 69.1 percent of respondents trust the accuracy of township information, while 61.9 percent rate current communication efforts as good. Email emerged as the primary preference, with 510 respondents selecting it as their favored channel.

Resident feedback indicated the desire for earlier project updates, enhanced transparency, website updates, and proactive messaging, according to the plan.

French stated the plan was shaped by community input.

A key part of the strategy shifts municipal outreach from reactive responses to a structured, four-step proactive process: plan, review, implement, and evaluate.

“Getting accurate information to residents earlier rather than later, rather than simply responding to questions after concerns or questions arrive,” French said.

The plan puts in place a multi-channel framework combining print media, digital outlets, public engagement events, and press relations. Outreach effectiveness will be tracked through metrics covering reach, engagement, trust, and performance of website traffic, newsletter subscriptions, meeting attendance, and survey participation.

Planned operational updates include website improvements, modernized branding standards, department communication liaisons, regular public surveys, and standardized performance tracking.

The township is presently working on a $70,000 effort to update its website.

Supervisor Mike Ksiazek called the plan comprehensive and said that it “checks all the boxes” and exceeded expectations.

“I have residents come to me and say, ‘why didn’t I know about this sooner?’ And I think this really helps that process,” Supervisor Dana Kane said. “The more feedback we get from residents, the better.”

The township already maintains an email notification platform through its website and noted that a resident suggestion regarding physical mailings presents a possible strategy, according Martin, the township’s public information officer.

“Middletown Township is already communicating every day,” French said. “This plan simply gives us a more intentional and consistent framework for doing that everyday work. The goal is not to communicate more, it’s to communicate earlier, more clearly, and more consistently while creating meaningful opportunities for residents to engage with us.”