City News — Crisis & Issue Messaging
Turning a weekly newsletter into the city’s public record
Before I became Communications Director for the City of Cleveland Heights, City News was used mostly for lighter updates: events, announcements, reminders, and general city information.
During a period of citywide transition, that was no longer enough.
Multiple issues needed to be communicated simultaneously: roadwork, capital projects, redevelopment, leadership changes, community programming, public meetings, and sensitive public safety concerns.
Beginning with the July 4 issue, I restructured City News into a weekly public update that could carry all of that work in one place.
The changes included list cleanup, a more reliable publishing rhythm, stronger editorial organization, and a consistent way to bring department information together before it reached residents.
Open rates increased from approximately 40% to more than 70%.
The value was not just that City News looked better or performed better. It became a place residents could return to, week after week, to see what the city was doing, what was changing, and where public information lived.
Project details
Client: City of Cleveland Heights
Role: Communications Director
Work: Editorial direction, public updates, newsletter restructuring, issue messaging, list cleanup, department coordination
Result: City News open rates increased from approximately 40% to more than 70%
Weekly Issue Sequence
→ July 4 — Resetting the format (first issue as Communications Director)
https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Street-Repaving-Update---Community-Celebration-at-Denison---Town-Hall-Schedule.html?soid=1115396448413&aid=vuXsZ3KLdk4
Established the publishing rhythm, tone, and expectations for how city updates would be delivered moving forward.
→ Early consolidation — Multiple threads, one issue
https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Street-Repaving-Update---Denison-gets-New-Turf---Fair-Housing-Workshops.html?soid=1115396448413&aid=s16IMFjMgeo
Brought several active topics into a single update without making residents chase information across departments or platforms.
→ System expansion — Long-term work alongside active updates
https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Street-Repaving-Update---Park-Synagogue-Redevelopment---Capital-Improvements-Map-.html?soid=1115396448413&aid=ikVH-5DsgE4
Added capital projects, redevelopment, and planning information while continuing routine public updates.
→ Internal and external updates in one place
https://myemail.constantcontact.com/City-Hall-Closed-for-Labor-Day---Council-Update---Refreshed-Comms-Team-.html?soid=1115396448413&aid=DhL6RI7V2OQ
Included operational and staffing changes without separating internal city movement from resident-facing information.
→ Sensitive issues inside the same public update structure
https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Park-Arts-on-Pause---Youth-Violence-Prevention---Active-Transportation-Summit-and-more-.html?soid=1115396448413&aid=43O-GSQ-nM4
Addressed higher-stakes community concerns without changing the voice or sending residents somewhere else for the information.
Archive reference:
https://www.clevelandheights.gov/304/City-News-Update-Archive
This was not only newsletter work.
It was editorial direction, public information management, and communications operations happening at the same time.
City News gave the city a consistent place to share public updates, explain ongoing work, and create a weekly record that residents could follow.
The project shows what happens when communication is treated as part of how an organization functions — not as a final layer added after decisions are made.
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