Communications
The Town of Somerset uses a variety of means to keep Somersetters & others who might be interested (such as residents of nearby communities, those who work in Somerset, & former or potential Somersetters) informed. The Town believes it is important to be communicative on Town activities & events, policies & issues under deliberation by the Mayor & Town Council, the work of the Town's various committees & boards, & events & initiatives occurring in surrounding neighborhoods.
The Town's methods of communication, most of which can all be located on this very website, are:
- Website: This is the official website of the Town of Somerset, Maryland and is operated and maintained by the Town Staff. The website incorporates comprehensive information on a variety of items pertinent to the Town. This includes:
- The Home page including a calendar, news list, fun facts about the Town, and our Declarations on Inclusivity & Sustainability.
- Government including governmental structure, officials, volunteer groups, agendas & minutes, audits & budgets, our Charter & Code of Ordinances, and facts on Montgomery County's comprehensive plan Montgomery 2050.
- Services including trash & recycling, snow & leaf removal, the Town Pool & other recreational facilities, rental of the Town Hall, details on Town elections, notary services, permitting, & important regulations to be aware of.
- About Us (the community of Somerset) includes guidance for new Somersetters including our Newcomers Form, an overview of our history & historic district, annual Town events & the Town Hall's art shows, particulars on Town wellness activities & the local group Helping Hand, overview of nearby development & a map of the Town, & a photo gallery of both historical & modern photographs of Somerset.
- Communications includes instruction on the Town's various communication methods (you are reading that right now!), archives of our monthly Town Journal, a directory of the Town Staff, a list of service providers for the Town, a list of important non-Somersetter government officials, bid & employment opportunities, data on accessibility settings for the website, a disclaimer, & our social media policy.
- Social Media: The Town operates a suite of accounts on multiple social media platforms. These accounts are congregated together on our official Linktree. We have accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, LinkedIn, YouTube, Nextdoor (only available to Somersetters as you need a Somerset address), and X (the social media platform formally known as Twitter). In addition, the Town operates and maintain an additional website in conjunction with Member Splash for the Town Pool. The Town of Somerset Member Splash contains information about the pool including membership, teams & lessons, hours of operation, news, & a calendar.
- Weekly Town Email Announcements: Every Friday the Town Manager sends Somersetters important announcements straight to their email inbox utilizing the Constant Contact system. These emails serve as official notices about Town business such as official Town meetings, street cleaning & closures, leaf collection, tree removal, Town Hall events, pool news, & more. Additional email notices are sent out on an as needed basis such as for emergency alerts or the release of a new issue of the Town Journal. Somersetters not receiving these emails can gain access by submitting their name, email, & address to Town Hall via town@townofsomerset.com.
- The Somerset Town Journal: Every month the Town publishes a new issue of the Somerset Town Journal available online (on this very website!) and in-print. The Town Journal covers the actions of the Mayor & Town Council, news of the various Town committees, issues affecting the community, local events both in Somerset & in nearby areas such as Friendship Heights & Bethesda, features about Somersetters, & classified ads.
- Somerset Resource Guide & Directory: Every year the Town of Somerset publishes the Somerset Resource Guide & Directory, designed as a convenient all-in-one resource for Somersetters divided into two sections. Section I, referred to as the Resource Guide, provides Town highlights, Town history, and general information on Town governance, available services, & special features of the Somerset community. Section II contains the resident directory. This resource is prepared by the Town Staff and the Town's Communications Committee. Each household in Town receives one free copy and additional copies can be purchased at the Town Hall by Somersetters. A digital copy of the 2023 Resource Guide (sans Directory) can be found here.
The Alert Montgomery System provides accurate & immediate emergency notifications from Montgomery County to your cell, work, or home phones via text, email, or voice message. Receive notifications about emergencies that may affect your home, workplace, child's school, or any other locations within Montgomery County, Maryland.
- Government and school status for County government and public school closures, cancellations, or delays due to inclement weather or other emergencies.
- Weather alerts for your family's home, business, school, child care, & more.
- Infrastructure issues including water & power outages.
- Severe traffic issues including accidents & prolonged road closures.
The Alert Montgomery system is operated by the Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management & Homeland Security. More information including how to receive these notifications can be found here.