TAMRMS#: B05
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BUDGET INFORMATION REQUEST (BIR) - Communications Department Staffing
Requested by: Councillor Korotash
Date of Request: November 5, 2025
Date Response Due: November 12, 2025
Confidential: No
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QUESTION
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During Council orientation, I believe we heard that the City's communication department has 19 or 20 FTEs. There is an operating business case for another FTE for a communications advisor. Could you please provide an org chart of the positions in the communication department with number of FTEs and brief job functions? Secondly, do we contract out much in the way of communications or is it all internal (graphic design, website development, UX design etc)?
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RESPONSE
Communications and Public Affairs brings together key functions, including communications, marketing, graphic design and public engagement, that at one time were spread among individual departments and centralizes them in a single unit. The department has 19 full-time equivalent staff, is led by a Director and consists of two branches: Public Affairs and Corporate Communications and Design. The first branch has one Public Affairs Advisor who reports to the Director and is responsible for overseeing and supporting public engagement across the City. The second branch, which has 17 staff and is overseen by a manager, is responsible for strategic communications planning, development and delivery; strategic marketing planning, development and delivery; strategic graphic design, planning and delivery; social media; the content and navigation of the City website; the primary contact form on the City website; the switchboard for the main phone line coming into the City; the weekly Citylights feature in the St. Albert Gazette; the weekly City Highlights resident newsletter; the City’s brand and Visual Identify Guide; Flag Display; crisis communications; issues management; media relations; and a wide variety of tactical communications.
The Corporate Communications and Design branch is organized into three units, each overseen by a supervisor. The Communications Advisor team provides strategic and tactical communications, marketing and design support to all City departments. Each advisor is assigned a specific portfolio of departments and works with subject matter experts in each department to plan, develop and deliver integrated marketing and communications plans designed to support the success of their programs, services, events and amenities, and the achievement of their business goals. This work includes providing communications advice; developing and implementing communication and promotional plans that reflect data-driven recommendations and industry best practices; receiving media inquiries on behalf of the departments they support, working with the subject matter experts in those departments to develop key messages on various topics, arranging interviews and responding to media inquiries; identifying potential risks and crafting messaging to help manage issues impacting the departments; and coordinating complex marketing and communications projects. To assist with capacity constraints, the Manager and Communications Supervisor provide this type of day-to-day support to their own portfolios of City departments and assist the Communications Advisors with more complex or sensitive projects. Communications advisors work with their colleagues in the other two units in developing these plans and delivering the various tactics recommended in the plans.
The Marketing team works with the Communications Advisors to develop and deliver marketing-communication strategies and tactics as part of an overarching marketing-communications plan; promoting and providing information about City programs, services, amenities, events and initiatives; developing and posting messaging on the City website and via City social media channels; developing online and printed publications, advertising and promotions; and developing and executing messaging via department-specific channels. To assist with capacity constraints, the Marketing Supervisor also does day-to-day marketing work and provides support for more complex campaigns or time-sensitive projects.
The Design and Multimedia team works with the Communications Advisors to develop and deliver a wide range of visual communications, including high-quality graphic design for a wide range of print and online media; arranging for photography and video production; coordination of print production, post-production and design; coordination of multimedia projects; and oversight of the City’s website and social media platforms, including design, coding, testing and monitoring content for a wide range of City web pages. To assist with capacity constraints, the Design and Multimedia Supervisor also does day-to-day design work and provides support for more complex campaigns or time sensitive projects.
The Customer Service and Administrative Assistant is responsible for answering all telephone calls to the switchboard for the City’s main phone line, answering questions and redirecting calls as needed; audits content on the City website to identify outdated information or broken links; receives and redirects inquiries received through the main contact form for the City; processes all invoices and coordinates approvals of purchases made on behalf of other departments.
As of November 6, 2025, the department has worked on 447 projects to date this year, ranging from very large and complex projects like the municipal election and the Children’s Festival to smaller, emergent projects the “the Big Game on the Big Screen.” Based on the numbers so far, it is estimated the total number of projects for 2025 will be approximately 536.
To reduce overtime, prevent burnout and promote staff wellness, the department contracts out some projects when overcapacity. The department has a budget of $50,000 for contracted services, which is used for a variety of communications, marketing and design work. In 2024, the department hired two term positions to deal with rising demand for service: a term communications advisor and a term graphic designer and multimedia coordinator.
The individual positions in the Communications and Public Affairs department are outlined in the attached organizational chart.
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Report Date: November 7, 2025
Author(s): Cory Sinclair
Department: Communications and Public Affairs
Department Director: Paul Pearson
Managing Director: Diane McMordie
Chief Administrative Officer: William Fletcher