Gary Norris Calls for Immediate Restructuring of City Communications Into Public Information Office

Salina City Commissioner Gary Norris on Monday called for the city to consider restructuring its current communications operation into a more formal public information office.

Norris said the proposal comes amid repeated public calls over the past several months for greater transparency and more open communication from city government.

“There’s a different side to Salina city government than we have been reading about — an entire structure of competent departments that citizens must know about to regain confidence,” Norris said.

He also pointed to changes in the local media landscape, saying the decline of a “robust Salina Journal” with multiple local reporters has left a gap in how information about city government reaches residents.

Norris proposed an “immediate administrative structural change” that would transform the city’s current media department into a public information department.

Under the concept he described, residents could receive daily updates on significant city issues and have a clearer way to email city staff and receive timely answers.

Norris asked City Manager Jacob Wood whether the city currently has vacant positions that could potentially be reorganized as part of a public information officer strategy.

Wood said he does.

Norris then asked whether commissioners could direct Wood to begin developing such a structure.

Mayor Mike Hoppock said he supported having the city manager explore the idea.

“I think there is a void there,” Hoppock said, adding that the city has tried different communication approaches and that better access to information could help address some of the concerns facing city government.

No formal motion was made during the discussion, but commissioners indicated support for Wood developing a proposal for how a public information office could be structured.