Cobourg Mayor Proposing to Hire Temporary Summer Student for Communications

Pete Fisher
13 hours ago
• Categories: City Hall, Local

Cobourg Mayor Lucas Cleveland is proposing for the creation of a “temporary summer student” position for the 2025 summer season working with the communications department.

The Notice of Motion reads as follows:

Action Recommended:
WHEREAS the Town of Cobourg has benefited in the past from additional support provided by temporary summer student positions; and

WHEREAS there can often be last-minute increases in available funding from the Federal Summer Student Program due to unfilled positions across the country; and

WHEREAS a temporary summer student could provide valuable support to Council member communication during the summer recess multiplying the impact of the first ever Mid-term Council report; and

WHEREAS communities across Canada, including Cobourg, are experiencing a significant decline in local media, resulting in reduced public access to information about local government, events, and community initiatives; and

WHEREAS Cobourg Council can benefit from the use a summer student to help create content about the work they do outside of their legislative duties for their community, highlighting their participation in various events throughout the summer bringing attention and helping to promote local businesses and festivals that support local organizations; and

WHEREAS this Council has, during multiple conversations over the past two years noted the ever-increasing workload for our small yet powerful communications department and know of the budget restraints that do not allow for more fulltime positions despite taking on major projects like rebuilding the town website; and

WHEREAS the community could benefit from improved communications regarding the innovative and positive work this Council is doing to improve the safety and security of all Cobourg residents; and

WHEREAS this would be an efficient and low-cost opportunity to test the enhancement of the communication efforts for this Council around Cobourg’s branding, marketing, the midterm report, taking advantage of the momentum, this Council has generated resulting in among other benefits the 30 million in grants received in 2024.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council direct staff to pursue the creation of a temporary summer student position for the 2025 summer season that reports to the communication manager working with HR to develop a fulsome set of responsibilities that would serve for improved council communications on social media; and

FURTHER THAT staff be directed to apply for federal funding through the Canada Summer Jobs Program, and that they monitor for any last-minute funding reallocations that may become available for unfilled positions; and

FURTHER THAT any remaining costs not covered by federal funding be allocated from the staff contingency fund.