Do you prefer getting your news in small bites or in a full package? Are you someone who checks social media or is print your thing?
The COVID-19 pandemic put an end to Choices, the Homewood-Flossmoor Park District’s program guide that was mailed to every household in its service area. Now the question is whether or not to revive the 15,000 quarterly copies of the Choices brochure that has a yearly price tag of $30,000 plus $12,000 for postage.
Since March 2020, the park district has been without a regular program schedule. Restrictions mean no group events, but where possible the park district resumed some programs online, outdoors and with limited capacity. The staff has been getting the word out using social media. Whether that will be its mode of communication in the future is under consideration by park commissioners.
“Do you stay digital? Do you mail a postcard or get something physical in peoples hands that says go here for details? Do we go to smaller brochures that have a little bit of information and send people to a website?” asked Debbie Kopas, parks executive director, during the Jan. 5 board meeting.
As the country again faces a rise in COVID infections, park district officials are trying to plan for future programs but with no guidance on whether COVID restrictions will remain in place and for how long.
“Everything’s changing from week to week. You just couldn’t keep up with those changes in 2020,” said Kopas. “Usually now we’re planning the summer (Choices) book. You’re working so far ahead, but we don’t know what the restrictions are going to be this summer.”
Commissioners agreed the Choices publication should remain on hold for the time being. They asked Kopas to look at the costs of sending residents monthly or quarterly postcards with information on future programs.
Commissioner Steve Johnson said the park district needs to get something into homes.
Commissioner Dallas Collins said people are finding it easy to register online, but Commissioner Debbie Dennison said whatever method is decided upon, the park information should include a phone number so “you can talk to a person.”