Park Panel member Kurt Merseal pitched a plan to Steelville’s Board of Aldermen on March 16 to improve the town’s marketing through a revamped website and social media strategy. The proposal includes hiring a contract web developer/content creator for a trial period of four months.

The goal is to create a branding identity for Steelville that will increase foot traffic and benefit local businesses, residents and visitors. The proposal ties into a recent push toward revitalization efforts in the town.

“Seems like every Park Panel meeting we have, we always talk about what great things are going on, but how it could be greater,” Merseal said. “And the thing that we always come back to is like, we need to market our town.”

Merseal pointed out problems with the city’s current website, calling it “antiquated” and passive rather than active. He used the page for Hoppe Spring Park as an example.

“I love that park,” he said. “It’s amazing. You look on the website at it, and it’s got this old picture, looks like it was taken with a disposable. And I’m not judging it, but it’s like, that doesn’t sell that park.”

He said these problems extend to the city’s social media as well, which currently only includes Facebook. Though the page is used to share city-related information and updates with residents, Merseal said it’s not well-integrated with all of the groups and events the town offers. 

“We have all this different stuff going in, but all the information is stovepiped,” he said. “There’s nobody bringing it together. And I think it’s a city’s responsibility. As a city, we can be that nexus that brings it all together.”

Merseal said Steelville has strong assets, such as its parks, trails and location, but isn’t capitalizing on them. He thinks that improved marketing, especially through social media, can create the “hype” that the town needs in order to draw more people.

The Park Panel is proposing that the city hires someone for a trial period of four months from May through August. The city would pay this person $1,000 per month to rebuild the city’s website from the ground up, revamp its Facebook page and start an Instagram page.

Merseal said this is when most of the heavy lifting would be done, as the person would be working to establish a marketing strategy for the city and integrate its website and social media with links to local businesses and community groups.

According to the proposal, the new and improved website would create a “central hub for all things Steelville.” This could include a business directory, events calendar, page for local ordinances, visitor information and a place for the community to report their concerns or needs.

If the city is pleased with the outcome of the first four months, it could choose to hire this person for a proposed $750 per month. The rate decreases because the first four months of work are the most involved. This second phase is more focused on continued content creation to engage with social media audiences and keeping the website up to date.

A few proposed social media ideas include promotions for upcoming events, a video asking residents why they love Steelville, business spotlights, farmer’s market highlights and more.

In the long term, Merseal would like to see the role expand into an event coordinator who could come up with new events for the city. He’d also like this person to eventually assist with grant writing and funding efforts.

Merseal framed the cost as a low-price investment with potential for high returns that could “turn the tide” for the town. He’s suggesting resident Maureen Kush as a candidate for the position, describing her as already very active in the community with a deep care for the betterment of the town.

“(She’s) a person who’s a local that has skin in the game, that is high energy, that has the skills and has already proven she can do this kind of work,” he said.

Several of the aldermen expressed interest in the proposal.

“I like what you’re saying,” Alderman Ward 1 Curtis Crouch said. “I think we should give it some consideration.”

“I know (Kush) has a passion for doing something of this magnitude to promote our town,” Alderman Ward 2 Jason Ward said.

“At the end of four months, the worst that could happen is we’re out $4,000, and we’ve done worse than that,” Alderman Ward 1 Bill Bennett said. “We’ve kicked this idea around probably about 15 years.”

A final decision is expected at a future meeting.

The Board of Aldermen also approved splitting the $2,000 cost of a new bike park kiosk with the Steelville Mountain Bike Collective. The old kiosk was put together using a barn door off a chicken coop and the sign on it was stolen. 

Park Panel member James Hayes has a plan to build a new one out of metal, making it “borderline indestructible,” with a protected sign that will point visitors toward businesses in town.

In other news, the city needs to change the software system it uses, as its current program, gWorks, was bought out and is switching to a cloud-based system in January. Finance Officer Regina Slovensky reported that many other cities are struggling with the new system and are changing their platforms entirely.

Implementing a new platform could take six to nine months, so Slovensky said the city needs to act quickly before gWorks transfers over in January. The Board of Aldermen voted unanimously to allow her to solicit bids for new software systems.

Chief of Police Mike Sherman reported that he is working with Public Works Director Jason Evans to put up signs notifying truck drivers of Steelville’s ordinance prohibiting the use of engine brakes, also known as Jake brakes, in town. He said he’s received multiple noise complaints from the schools and residents over the excessive use of the loud brakes.

“We have enough adequate speed limit signs that (drivers) are notified well in advance before getting into town that they should slow themselves down,” Sherman said. “So the use of the Jake brake is like their last minute go-to when they get into town, but they shouldn’t be using it.”

Once MoDOT issues a permit for the signs, Sherman said they’ll go up as soon as possible.

The next Board of Aldermen meeting is at 6 p.m. on April 6 at City Hall.