Knowing the goings-on in one’s town can increase a person’s feelings of connectedness and purpose within their community. How does one know when a street project will begin or end? Additionally, who represents various departments within the city and how can one contact them with questions or a problem? These are some of the many reasons that city officials in Hastings, Nebraska, began printing “Behind the Scenes,” a monthly newsletter that covers various city departments and the work being done within them.

City Administrator Shawn Metcalf had produced a similar report previously in Rawlings, Wyoming, and thought this could be a good way to communicate with the residents of Hastings as well. He stated that the once-a-month informational paper covers what each of the city’s 17 departments are working on in two categories: current projects or achievements from the previous month and upcoming projects.

“So, if a resident is looking at that and they are really interested in any department, they should have a good idea of what’s going on in that department. People can sign up for that, where they get an email every month,” Metcalf said.

Tony Herrman, public information manager for the city of Hastings, puts the document together each month and tries to include beautiful photos or graphics of the various things going on within the town of about 25,000 people. The birthplace of Kool-Aid, Hastings boasts an active library system, a natural history museum, and a regional airport, all of which Herrman likes to include in “Behind the Scenes.”

“I love the pictures Tony uses here; they’re very warm and welcoming in appearance. It takes quite a bit of time to grab all of those and come up with new ones, but I think it’s well worth it,” Metcalf remarked.

Herrman recently began including a calendar of events in the publication as well — an idea posed by a city council member — so that citizens can have a one-stop location for dates and times of upcoming city council and planning meetings, library and museum events and other happenings, listed the month prior.

Right now, about 100 physical copies of the 20-page paper go out to subscribers, but Herrman also includes “Behind the Scenes” in the city employee newsletter and posts it to their social media accounts each month.

What Metcalf most appreciates about “Behind the Scenes” is its accessibility. For readers who are only interested in a certain department or area, the library, for example, they can go right to that section and read about the things going on there.

“That’s what I like about it so much. You don’t have to read it all; even if you read a little part of it, that’s great, that’s valuable for someone,” he continued.

Each department approaches their section differently and not all are featured in every issue, depending on what information they have to impart. As city administrator, Metcalf has his own section each month, highlighting big, citywide projects such as the renovation of the city hall that was recently approved by the city council.

Herrman stated that city utilities alone make up about half of the Hastings government, and he could easily fill an entire issue with that department’s updates alone. Instead, he limits utilities to two pages, “and I’ve worked with our superintendent, directors for those utilities, just on specific things that (they) have going on at that moment. And that way, I could maybe go to that same person two to three months down the road and write about something different.”

In their section, human resources began including a photo and bio of a different employee each month. “Some of the departments do that,” Herrman reported, “which is a good way for the city or the city employees to be out there in the public to help the public make that connection with their friends and neighbors working for the city.”

Metcalf reports that the community’s response has been favorable. He said, “We’ve had a lot of good feedback on it, very positive things, the comments that I saw. I have had people come up to me and tell me that they actually love it — they like reading it every month.”

Herrman added, “We talk about response from the public. One woman spoke at the council meeting; she was very vocal on her support and praise for BTS, but she wanted something included there, kind of outlining the condition of city facilities.”

And with the creation of the maintenance department currently in the works, it, too, will have a monthly section in “Behind the Scenes” “that will probably just relieve a little pressure from other departments,” Herrman said.

Metcalf believes that the publication provides a means of helping residents feel more a part of the community. “Local governments are more complex than people know — than the general public understands — so I love this because they kind of get insight into each of those departments, some of those things they wouldn’t otherwise know or think about.” The biggest hurdle for Metcalf and Herrman is simply letting people know about “Behind the Scenes.” Since the publication only began printing in April 2023, both men see plenty of room for growth and increased readership within the city of Hastings.

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