Jun 27, 2023 · Peak

Council discusses the COVID-19 communications and marketing service agreement

At its June 27 meeting the City Council discusses the service agreement for COVID-19 communications and marketing services funded through a DSHS grant. Mayor Stanley described it as a $2.4 million grant for promoting the COVID-19 vaccine and asked whether the City could stay compliant while promoting overall health and wellness; the Director of Public Health said the project is funded by the CARES Act, has five objectives and runs to June 30, 2024. Councilmember Scherlen asked the department for a spending and messaging plan for council review. Three members of the public spoke.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Cole Stanley Casie Stoughton Tom Scherlen Mary Coyne Marketing Communications, LLC (MCMC)

What the sources say

✓ Verified
Mayor Cole Stanley: KAMR reported that Mayor Cole Stanley described the item as a $2.4 million grant for promoting the COVID-19 vaccine, said the earlier council accepted it while the vaccine was under emergency use authorization, and asked whether the City could stay compliant with the grant while promoting overall health and wellness rather than a single vaccine. ^[3]
✓ Verified
Director of Public Health: KAMR reported that the Director of Public Health said the project is funded by the CARES Act, has five specific objectives (objective four requires funding and hiring a dedicated health communicator for vaccine communication, education and outreach), that the grant expires June 30, 2024, and that the department planned to shift to post-pandemic messaging including health literacy and healthy behaviors. ^[3]
✓ Verified
City records and the director's reported remarks describe the marketing money's source differently.
Reported value 1[4][2]
Value
Grant provided by the Texas Department of State Health Services
How the 2022 award memo and the June 27, 2023 agenda describe the funding.
Reported value 2[3]
Value
Funded by the CARES Act
How KAMR reports the Director of Public Health describing the project at the June 27, 2023 meeting; DSHS passes federal funds through to local health departments, so both can describe the same money.
✓ Verified
Councilmember Tom Scherlen; Mayor Cole Stanley: KAMR reported that Councilmember Tom Scherlen asked the department to prepare a plan for how the money would be spent and the message to the public, for the council to review in advance, and that Mayor Stanley said he expected the plan in two to four weeks. ^[3]
✓ Verified
The minutes record discussion item 8.B, "Discuss Service Agreement for COVID-19 communications and marketing services funded through a grant provided by the Texas Department of State Health Services", presented by the Director of Public Health, with public comment from three speakers, two of whom the minutes identify as not from Amarillo. No council vote was taken on the item. ^[1]^[2]

Sources

1.Amarillo City Council Regular Meeting Minutes, 2023-06-27 — City of Amarillo, Jun 27, 2023 · retrieved Oct 10, 2026primarySubject-authoredStates: "Mayor Stanley and Emeritus Mayor Pro Tem Freda Powell recognized Councilmember Smith's service to the community and presented him with a crystal plaque and a street sign. Councilmember Smith shared his outgoing remarks."
2.Amarillo City Council agenda packet, June 27, 2023 — City of Amarillo, Jun 27, 2023 · retrieved Oct 14, 2026primarySubject-authoredDate is the meeting date. Discussion item 8.B ("Discuss Service Agreement for COVID-19 communications and marketing services funded through a grant provided by the Texas Department of State Health Services") and consent item 9.I memo: "Amarillo Public Health has grant deliverables through June 30, 2024 with DSHS. The grant budget for this item has been expended by 73%."
3.Amarillo City Council discusses Public Health Department COVID-19 messaging — KAMR (MyHighPlains.com), Jul 17, 2023 · retrieved Oct 14, 2026newsIndependentBy Jack Kessler. The live myhighplains.com page returns HTTP 403; read from the Internet Archive snapshot of July 19, 2023.
4.Amarillo City Council regular meeting agenda and packet, February 8, 2022 — City of Amarillo, Feb 8, 2022 · retrieved Oct 14, 2026primarySubject-authoredDate is the meeting date. Item 3M and its transmittal memo: award of RFP 04-22 Communications & Marketing Services to Support Vaccination Program to MCMC-Mary Coyne Marketing Communications, LLC, $2,446,000.00, "to plan and manage a comprehensive campaign providing education and opportunity for COVID-19 vaccination for the community"; "Funding for this project is through Amarillo Public Health via grant provided by the Texas Department of State Health Services."