UPDATE: The action item passed unanimously though a resident did stand and ask questions about the cost. Patti Garrett also mentioned several emails she received this afternoon about the cost.

One clarification: Decatur companies WERE solicited for the redesign according to Linda Harris.

The redesign has been in the planning stages for two years. Most of the commission members expressed frustration with the current website.

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On the agenda for tonight’s Decatur city commission meeting: a new city website.

City staff is recommending that the city pay Vision Internet $46,630 to develop a new website for Decatur.  Aside from informing us that decaturga.com gets on average 3,960 page views a day, Linda Harris’ note to the commission (page 57 of agenda materials pdf) details many of the proposed site’s new features…

The redeveloped site will be user-friendly and make it easier to complete tasks such as paying parking tickets online or finding out the sanitation schedule.  It will have a number of programs that will enhance the website including the ability to forward content on a webpage through email; print-friendly webpages; automatic news updates on the homepage using RSS feeds; a survey creator; a high functioning events calendar; an image library; interconnected pages that can be updated simultaneously, preventing fewer chances for out-dated content; and, sign-up options to allow citizens to receive e-newsletters about specific topics (late breaking news, retail and restaurant info, upcoming festivals, etc)  It will be a place where the community can gather online through integrated social media and electronic feedback.  It will also include a platform that will allow the city to add a streaming video component to provide real-time viewing of commission meetings online and technologies to produce webcasts.  And it will also include a mobile application that will allow users to download the site easily on any type of mobile device.

You might want to bookmark this new City of Decatur site.

If you’ve been over to the city’s website in the past few days you may have noticed that they soft-launched a new “Online Communications Site“.   The site is designed to make it easier for residents to contact the proper city official on a wide-variety of issues and concerns.

After creating a Login for yourself, you can head over to the “Make a Request” tab, and find several different requests divided up by category (ex. Animal Control, City Gov’t, Code Enforcement).  Examples of requests range from requesting maintanance on any number of things to reporting graffiti and making construction project inquiries (I know I’ll be using that last one a lot!)

Another especially timely option for the holiday season is found under “Public Safety“.   Instead of calling the non-emergency number to let the police know you will be out of town over the holiday season, you can now just fill out the “Out of Town House Check” form.

How handy!

If successful, this should be another real step forward by the city to improve communication with residents.