Committee of the Whole, 14 Apr 2026: Village Communications Plan Up for Review

The Northbrook Village Board will hear a presentation from a5 Branding and Digital on a recommended Communications Plan developed alongside the Village's Strategic Plan.

Key items

Communications Plan presentation — A5 Branding and Digital's recommended plan will shape how the Village communicates with residents, businesses, and stakeholders going forward.
March 31 minutes approval — Board will formally approve the record of its last Special Committee of the Whole session.
Closed session — Board will meet privately, with no subject matter disclosed on the agenda.

Full agenda — click any item to expand

Minutes Approval

The board will consider approving minutes from the March 31, 2026 Special Meeting of the Committee of the Whole.

Village Communications Plan Presentation and Discussion

Agency a5 Branding and Digital will present a recommended Communications Plan intended to establish structures and actionable systems for how the Village communicates with residents, businesses, and stakeholders. The plan was developed in connection with the Village's Strategic Plan.

Closed Session

The board will convene in closed session; the agenda does not specify the subject matter to be discussed.

What actually happened

Committee of the Whole, 14 Apr 2026: Village Communications Plan Unveiled

The Northbrook Village Board met April 14, 2026 to review a new Communications Plan developed by outside consultants, then briefly convened in closed session before adjourning.

Village Communications Plan Presentation

Consultants John Harris and Ben Schulman of a5 Branding and Digital presented a Communications Plan tied to the Village's Strategic Plan. The plan addresses how the Village engages residents, businesses, and stakeholders, and covers specific topics including the Northbrook Notify alert system, economic vitality, infrastructure, and communication governance. The presentation was followed by board discussion; no vote was taken on the plan itself.

Minutes Approval

The board approved minutes from the March 31, 2026 Special Meeting of the Committee of the Whole by a 5–0 vote, with Village President Kathryn Ciesla abstaining.

Closed Session

The board voted 5–0 to enter closed session at 7:06 p.m. and reconvened in open session at 7:26 p.m. The minutes do not state the subject of the closed session. Village President Ciesla abstained from all votes throughout the meeting.

Read the official documents

{
  "card_hook": "Northbrook's board reviewed a new Communications Plan from a5 Branding and Digital covering resident outreach, Northbrook Notify, and economic vitality.",
  "key_items": [
    {
      "title": "Village Communications Plan",
      "why_matters": "A new plan from outside consultants would reshape how Northbrook informs residents about alerts, infrastructure, and economic development."
    },
    {
      "title": "Closed Session",
      "why_matters": "The board met privately for 20 minutes, though the minutes do not disclose the subject discussed."
    }
  ]
}

Read the official documents

Agenda