Sample cover of our new newsletter.
As mayor, I proudly wear the hat — among many — of Chief Communications Officer of the City of South Milwaukee.
I do not take that responsibility lightly. How we tell our story and share information with residents, business owners, visitors and other stakeholders matters, a lot.
That is why I am proud to get behind two new communications platforms we are launching in coming months.
First, we are proud to partner with the South Milwaukee School District on the launch of “Bridges,” our new official city news magazine, debuting in April.
The magazine is being produced by Barb Caprile, who is also behind similar publications in Oak Creek and Greendale. Like those, this beautiful publication will combine information from our city departments with news and features from around the community and schools. Each edition will profile a local business. Rich imagery will be found throughout, and the magazine will bring our new brand to life.
We will partner with the school district on editorial planning — and together will tell a strong and cohesive story about what makes South Milwaukee, South Milwaukee.
Improved storytelling is also the goal of the city’s effort to relaunch its website as part of the Civic Engage network. The South Milwaukee City Council approved this move last month, with a plan to launch the new site this summer.
It will offer a more user-friendly experience, improving design, repackaging information, and streamlining content to make information more accessible, actionable and compelling. The focus will be on residents and business owners, but the new site will also better tell our city story to visitors.
Civic Engage is a leader in this space, and I’m excited to work with them, joining communities like West Allis, Bayside, Greenfield, Muskego, and New Berlin who already use the company for their sites.
Look for more details soon on both platforms in coming weeks, as our team — led by Communications Coordinator Katie Crosby and Assistant City Administrator Patrick Brever — works to get these off the ground. I thank Katie and Patrick for their efforts and their work on our city Facebook page, which has also seen a major upgrade in recent years, getting us to what I believe is a best practice page for communities.
Social media, digital and print: We are committed to strong communications in South Milwaukee, and I’m excited about what we’re delivering here, together.
South Milwaukee Blog 
I would hope that the new City website would have an option to pay the water bill online, rather than wirting a check to pay the bill.
Where is the money coming from for these publications and how much $$ ?
Great question. The newsletter should actually cost less than what we are paying now, or the same. The website was approved at up to $25,000, plus an annual maintenance fee of around $6,000 — money that essentially gets put toward a redesign in four years. In other words, these are cost-effective solutions.
Should cost? Or will cost? Why dont you know the details before voting for spending money? Or just going to do some more funny math to raise taxes/fees again this year? A new ‘newsletter’ fee.
The new newsletter will cost less than our current spending on newsletters. Is that straightforward enough? No funny math!
*How can I get the “Bridges” magazine? * *Beverly Deprey bev205nich@gmail.com *
On Thu, Feb 6, 2020 at 12:12 PM South Milwaukee Blog wrote:
> Erik Brooks posted: ” As mayor, I proudly wear the hat — among many — of > Chief Communications Officer of the City of South Milwaukee. I do not take > that responsibility lightly. How we tell our story and share information > with residents, business owners, visitors and other” >