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01/05/2016 12:30 PMClinton is getting ready to launch a new, improved town website with features aimed at keeping residents better informed about municipal matters. The tentative launch date, provided all content and data are successfully migrated over to the new site, is Sunday, Jan. 31.
“We have made great progress, but it has been a lot of work,” said Peter Neff, chair of the Website Committee, which held its first meeting in June 2014 and has been working since then to identify a web developer, decide on the website’s architecture and functionality, and populate the site.
“The goal was to explore creating a website that offered more to the public,” said Neff. “The new website is very dynamic and will allow town agencies to provide more information—and the general public to access that information—in a timely manner. People will be able to set up their own accounts and have information sent automatically to them.”
The Website Committee has seven members.
“They represent the town administration, department heads, Economic Development Commission, Board of Selectmen, Board of Finance, and two members at large,” said Neff. “There is a wide range of experience on the committee.”
The committee’s initial priorities were to determine the needs of town agencies and residents, turn those needs into a request for proposals from website developers, review proposals from various vendors, and recommend a vendor to the Board of Selectmen.
“Town Technology Department members were added to the committee as we narrowed down the list of vendors at the end of the search phase,” said Neff.
In all, 18 vendors submitted proposals, and on April 24, 2015, a contract was signed with CivicPlus, a Kansas-based web developer that specializes in local government websites. The 13-year-old company, which manages more than 2,000 municipal and county websites, has worked over the last eight months with Neff, Clinton’s Technology Department, and administrative assistant Mary Schettino on various aspects of the site redesign.
“We have trained our administrative staff, who are also now working to move information over from the old site to the new site, confirm the information on the new website, and start to send new information up as it is generated,” said Neff. “I will say this part has been very arduous, with many long meetings to make decisions, learn the nuts and bolts of the site, and then make it work in a manner that is user-friendly.”
Neff says the town’s administrative assistants and department heads will be responsible for portions of their individual web pages as well as updating the site with meeting information, including agendas and minutes.
“There are more things that they will be able to do, but that will be later, as we get used to the new site,” Neff said. “The town will have a part-time webmaster, who is currently working with us.”
According to Neff, the town to date has spent $15,433 out of a $50,000 budget for the site redesign.
“We believe we will be able to complete the process for a total of $25,000, so we are well within budget at this time and close to being finished,” he said. “There are so many changes, upgrades, and new items on this site compared to the old site.”
Key features include the ability for residents to subscribe to text or email alerts on town emergencies and news flashes, easier-to-access meeting minutes and agendas, and online reservation forms for various town facilities, including meeting rooms, community rooms, and pavilions.