Forum on Building Communication

Building Community Through Effective Communication

Summary Report from Forum Proceedings

This report is designed to help all Milton residents understand the importance of strong, inclusive communication within our town. It includes what our community has shared about the current state of public communication, the challenges we face, and practical steps we can take together to make Milton a more connected and welcoming place for everyone. 

The benefits of using the strategies below to guide us include:

• Better town decision making resulting in greater community buy-in

• Improved mental health

• Safer neighborhoods 

• Stronger community bonds

Background

On November 13, 2025, the Partnership for a Healthy Milton (PHM) hosted a community forum at the Milton Public Library. Over sixty local leaders and residents attended. This event was co-sponsored by Connect Milton and the Select Board’s Equity and Justice for All Advisory Committee, with funding from Celebrate Milton and PHM. The main goal was to explore how Milton can improve communication so that all residents have the information they need to participate fully in community life.

The Need: What Residents Told Us

In October 2025, PHM surveyed 213 Milton residents to better understand their experiences finding information about town resources and services.

• Only 35% of all respondents said it’s easy to get information they need in Milton.

  • For residents of color, this dropped to 23%.

• 34% of all respondents reported they knew little or nothing about available services, activities, or opportunities.

  • 54% of renters and 43% of people of color knew little or nothing about theseopportunities.

• 58% of all respondents said they have some or significant difficulty getting the information they want about town offerings. This challenge is even higher for:

  • Renters: 70%

  • Multilingual residents: 65%

  • Residents of color: 72%

These results show that many Milton residents—especially renters, multilingual families, and people of color—face real barriers to accessing important information. In addition, survey respondents who found it difficult to find information, shared the following reasons they face challenges in accessing the information they want or need:

• No single, convenient place to find information (74% of respondents).

• Not knowing where to look for information (68%).

• Lack of awareness of local organizations that can help (51%).

• Searching for information takes too much time (36%).

• Not seeing flyers or updates in public places around town (35%).

Most respondents get their information through:

• Word of mouth: Friends, family, neighbors (88%).

• School newsletters or emails: (63%).

• Social media: (49%).

Notably, no one mentioned town government as a main source of information. Residents without children enrolled in public schools often experience greater difficulty remaining informed.

Unique Local Barriers

• Milton does not have a central downtown area for gathering, posting information, or holding activities.

• The Northwest area of town faces the greatest challenges due to fewer medical, business or governmental services being located there, as well as a higher concentration of renters, residents of color, and low-income families.

Opportunities for Improvement: What Residents Want

Survey participants and forum attendees suggested several ways to make information more accessible and engaging:

• One central Milton webpage with community events, resources, and ways to get involved (71% supported).

• A town newsletter—preferably sent by email (56%).

• A free Milton app for quick updates on events, resources, and opportunities (40%; renters especially liked this idea).

• A coordinated youth sports website where information and sign-ups for all town-sponsored and private leagues are in one place (51%).

• Revise the town website to make it easier to use (37%).

Forum Priorities

At the forum, participants highlighted their favorite ideas:

• Create a new Community Engagement/Communications Coordinator position. This person would connect with residents and community organizations, develop new communication practices, and help town departments improve how they share information. Without a dedicated staff member, it will be difficult to make the substantial improvements so deeply desired by town residents and leaders.

• Develop new communication resources, as described in the Recommendations Section.

• Build one user-friendly youth sports website to learn about, and register for, all town and private nonprofit-sponsored teams. Currently, the Town Parks and Recreation Department runs a popular sports program year-round. In addition, there are many private non-profit sports leagues/organizations with their own boards that families partake in. Each has their own separate website to find and navigate, which causes confusion and frustration for many families. A single website for these programs would be more convenient.

Participants also emphasized the importance of streamlining communication channels and ensuring that all residents, including renters, have access to up-to-date town information. They noted that simplifying how information is delivered can help foster a stronger sense of community and improve overall participation in town events and services.

Recommendations: Next Steps for Milton

The resident survey and forum recommendations were synthesized and appear below. Although they do not represent all the good ideas that were raised, they were the most frequently expressed:

• Hire a Community Engagement/Public Communications Coordinator with expertise in inclusive, proactive communications. The Partnership for a Healthy Milton suggests that this Coordinator conduct an environmental scan of other towns to garner best practice ideas as well as form a Community Advisory Committee for ongoing input and feedback.

• Broaden Community Outreach Activities

  • Implement creative, effective ways to reach resident groups which are least connected to town services and opportunities (e.g., renters, solo elders, low income, multilingual and residents of color, etc.).

  • Create and manage a town newsletter, app, and/or an AI-powered communications platform.

  • Use electronic bulletin boards in neighborhoods.

  • Promote translation services for non-English speakers.

• Facilitate Use of Community Resources and Services

  • Launch a unified town-wide youth sports website. PHM suggests hiring a professional web designer or purchasing an existing platform to centralize all information and registration.

  • Develop an online platform that hosts a centralized events calendar and list of available town services and community resources. The platform should be linked to the Town and School websites.

  • Host an annual Community Festival providing information about services, events, and resources.

  • Create a Health and Human Services Consortium to enhance cooperation and communications between governmental and non-governmental health and service groups, an idea favored during the Milton Health Department’s Community Health Improvement forum. The goal is to maximize efficiencies, resources and knowledge among community service providers.

Summary: Why Public Communication Matters

When more people are invested and involved in their communities, everyone benefits through:

• Better decision-making—Because more people of different backgrounds share their ideas and expertise.

• Improved mental health—Because social connections and easier access to services support behavioral health.

• A safer community—Because informed and engaged residents look out for their neighborhoods.

• Stronger community bonds—Foster mutual understanding and respect among all residents.

These improvements will require dedication, knowledge, and resources. With the strong turnout and feedback from the community forum, there is clear support for the town investing in the development and implementation of effective communication initiatives. PHM and other local organizations are eager to work together and support town officials to make Milton’s communication strategies more inclusive, welcoming, and effective for all.