by ROSS COYLE

Sequim Gazette

The City of Sequim has gone digital, according to a recent press release. The city has created three separate Facebook groups for three sections of the city government: one for services, one for tourism and growth, and one for the Centennial Celebration.

“It’s another way for our citizens to get news and that’s the whole goal — to make sure that they’re informed,” said Communications Director Barbara Hanna.

The Sequim Government Facebook page, featuring a photo banner of City Hall, will give citizens access to information such as upcoming meetings and city project news. The Tourism Government page displays events and activities in Sequim and the surrounding area, such as the art walk or Sequim’s booth at the Tacoma Wedding Expo. Finally, Centennial Celebration events and news will be covered by the Centennial Government page and will feature event information as well as historical notes.

Hanna said that the site broadens the city’s marketing outreach, noting that younger generations rely more on social media for information, “So for some people they’ll feel more comfortable getting their news that way.”

She also said that the site will allow a limited public forum, allowing citizens to communicate with city in a way that traditional media don’t allow them to.

One of the biggest benefits of social media, said Hanna, is its immediacy. “If there’s something going on in town, you can take a picture and post it up on Facebook and get it out right away.”

The pages will draw their information from the city’s content management system. When an event is entered into the content management system database and uploaded to the website, it will be simultaneously posted to the Facebook pages.

Three other city officials — clerks Karen Kuznik-Reese and Bobbie Usselman and IT manager Steve Rose — will join Hanna in managing the Facebook pages. All four will cover the City of Sequim and Centennial pages, while Hanna will work more closely with the Tourism page.

Several policies had to be in place before the sites could launch. Among these were a standard terms of use for each of the three pages, amendments to the city’s employee policies about social media and the incorporation of the Portland-based Smarsh service to archive information on the pages.

Sequim residents and visitors can access the pages by clicking here City of Sequim Government, Sequim Tourism Government, or Sequim Centennial Government .

 Hanna emphasizes the importance of using the exact names to avoid any false search returns.