Ian Juarez HARLINGEN – The City of Harlingen has made a new, short and digestible way for city residents to catch up on its Regular Commission Meetings.
The “60-Second Town Hall” updates viewers on all the major updates of Harlingen’s commissioner meetings in less than a minute.
Regular Commission Meetings cover a range of topics from granting awards and recognizing local groups or people, to public hearings and proposals that may impact the city and its residents.
While the meetings are available to the public via live streaming, their long run times may discourage some residents who don’t have the time to tune in.
Rachel Saldana, the City of Harlingen Director of Communications and Media, talked more about the importance of the new videos.
“Social media has become a staple in everyday life,” Saldana said. “It has become more than just a way to keep in touch with friends and family, but it has for many, become a new source and a way to stay informed about what’s happening around them. And so, for local government or our city, we felt that it was important to make sure that we bring the message where the people are, where people are already looking.”
Brandon Castellanos, Harlingen media coordinator, said the city wanted to make the commission meetings more engaging, but the challenge was making it fun.
“And that’s where the idea of, the minute town hall or 60-Second Town Halls came in,” Castellanos said. “How do you make it different? How do we change it up? So, that’s one of the, one of the big ones. As far as other miniseries right now, I think we’re good with this and the podcast, but we do have other video ideas we have in mind, that we want to do.”
Castellanos said the response to the first video was positive, and the city will continue to pursue a “fresh approach” to its social media content.
The “60-second Town Hall” can be watched on the City of Harlingen’s Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube accounts.
Regular Commission Meetings are held every first and third Wednesday of the month at the city hall at 118 E. Tyler Ave.
