City staff presented a new board communication policy to the Sweet Home Library Board on July 10 that standardizes how citizen committees should handle media inquiries. Cecily, a city staff member, said the policy was prepared "at the request of another committee" after that committee’s chair received a media inquiry and was unsure how to respond.

Cecily said the memo was authored by her and City Manager Chief Ogden and advised that "at the end of the day, Chief Ogden is the spokesperson for the city, but there are some guidelines, in terms of what you can or should say." The memo also provides suggested phrasing to redirect reporters and notes that committee members are not obligated to speak with the media.

Cecily told the board that if the city manager is unavailable she is "also always available to speak to the press." The policy asks that members not speak on behalf of boards or committees and, if offering a personal opinion, to make clear they are speaking as an individual citizen.

Board members asked clarifying questions about whether the policy was triggered by an incident; Cecily replied it was not triggered by someone speaking out of turn but by a request for guidance and that the policy will be distributed to every citizen committee. No vote or formal adoption occurred during the meeting; the policy was presented for information.