WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Williamstown is working to improve communications with residents.

 

The town manager told the Select Board last week that the town obtained a Community Compact Best Practices grant from the state's Division of Local Services to fund a consultant from the University of Massachusetts at Boston's Collins Center for Public Management to develop a communications strategy.

 

Improved communications is a growing concern for small towns like Williamstown, Town Manager Robert Menicocci told the board.

 

"The world has changed with social media," Menicocci said. "The expectations of what a community communicates to its citizens — the game has been upped.

 

"I think this was a new area for government and many communities are looking at a need to staff up to address communications, where, in the past, maybe a big city would have a communications director. Now that has trickled down to almost all small communities."

 

To that end, the town has completely revamped its website and hired its first communications director — both steps that were included in the November 2025 Collins Center report, "Roadmap for Inclusive and Accessible Municipal Communications in Williamstown, Mass."

 

Brianna Sunryd, a public services manager at the Collins Center, presented her group's findings to the Select Board.