Montgomery considers social media strategies, downtown growth

Montgomery Economic Development Corp. considered marketing and development plans for the city at its June 15 virtual meeting.

As the city plans to grow, MEDC is also considering social media options for the city.

City Administrator Richard Tramm, who admitted social media and graphic design were outside his comfort zone, presented options for updated the city’s social media and creating a budget for its online strategy. Tramm showed options for an updated logo, featuring the outline of a goat and the Texas flag. The goat is based on The Town Goat statue, which commemorates a billy goat who became a local celebrity in Montgomery in 1906.

In addition to presenting the updated logo, Tramm asked the corporation to consider providing a budget for social media platforms, advertising and training. Currently, social media duties are managed by Tramm, Assistant City Administrator Dave McCorquodale and MEDC President Rebecca Huss, though Tramm said city growth may lead to bringing in a contractor to manage the city’s platforms. The corporation allocated $29 per month for social media management, $1,000 for social media challenges and campaign prizes, $1,000 for social media advertising and a $200 budget for technology purchases.

The discussion began when Tramm presented the corporation with a public works project to paint concrete car-stops in the fashion of the Texas flag. Tramm said the public works department estimated each car-stop would cost $50 to paint. Although the corporation approved funding for painting five additional car-stops, MEDC members Amy Brown and Arnette Easley suggested incorporating a larger project into the downtown plan.

The Montgomery Downtown Development Plan is based in part on the Texas Target Communities program, a design project conducted between Montgomery and Texas A&M University landscape architecture students. McCorquodale said the plan will focus on the “core” downtown area. He said a draft of the plan should be ready by June 19. The city will review its comprehensive plan, which will include any downtown projects, on July 8.

“The [landscape architecture] students from A&M gave us a very good direction on which way we’re going with the design,” McCorquodale said.