We have entered into a new world of communication called ‘social media’ and municipalities are also jumping on board. Facebook pages, Linkedin updates, U Tube videos, and Twitters are used to relay information from cities to citizens. How many of you actually remember walking up to where the telephone is located, looking up a number in a book and then dialing? Weren’t we cavemen back then? Now days, we pull our phone out, find the bookmark, and then push a button. Some smart phones work like walkie-talkies. Highlight a persons name and push a button and speak. You don’t even have to dial. At the City of Powell, we contemplated a Facebook page but decided against it. Our I.T. guy is already taking care of our web page and having him stare at pictures of kids, dogs, horses, and Bronco quarterbacks might send him over the edge. Imagine knowing the astrology sign of all the people in Powell and then, trying to honor all their requests for agriculture implements in Farmville. I’ve always said that it’s important to open up communications but your baby’s first poo is not relevant to the operation of a municipality. Since we updated the city website, we have links to all the employees and city councilmen. At the start, some of the councilmen had never received e-mail but now, they’re clicking and forwarding like they were related to Bill Gates. The past few years, it’s been discussed on what correspondence is open to the media. I’ve always welcomed anyone in the media to look at my computer at city hall. I figure that it was paid for by taxpayer dollars and the public should know what’s on it. So far, Tessa doesn’t want to read my e-mails from the Cup Store, Christmas Lighting Promotions, or Rand Paul. At this year’s Winter Workshop in Cheyenne, I will be moderating a work session called ‘Wyoming Communities Using Social Media’ with speakers from Cheyenne, Green River, and Gillette. They will be explaining to the good old boys from Shoshoni and Bear River why they should embrace the social media. Possibly, some of these small Wyoming communities may soon have Facebook pages.

Plus, you can say you ‘tweeted’ a gal in Baggs without being slapped.

Scott Mangold

Mayor

City of Powell

mayormangold@cityofpowell.com

MAYOR MANGOLD

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