Chatham County launches new website with resident-focused features

Posted Monday, July 16, 2007

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Pittsboro, NC - Chatham County’s Board of Commissioners had a preview of the county’s new website at its July 16th work session. The website has a new address (www.chathamnc.org), new design, reorganized and updated content and several user-friendly features.

“We received input from the public and employees in designing and reorganizing the website. Both groups agreed on key points and this input was the foundation of the new website,” said County Manager Charlie Horne. The priorities identified through the input process included:

· Easy-to-find, quick links to the most popular pages;

· An uncluttered design with consistency throughout the site and a clear identification of Chatham County on all pages;

· A logical organization of the website that is easier to navigate; and

· Features that enhance citizen access to and input in county government.

Debra Henzey, director of community relations for the County Manager’s Office, led with website project along with Michael Bradley from the Management and Information Systems Department. She said that all county staff involved with the project worked hard to “assure that we met these priorities to the best of our ability.”

New features of the website that should make it easier to use or access county government include:

· An e-notice sign-up link from the homepage that immediately takes users to a page to sign up to receive email notices of various types of events or news, such as notices of commissioner meeting agendas or department newsletters. Each notice received includes a quick link for recipients to “unsubscribe”, Henzey said.

· A master county government calendar that is fed by events posted on calendars for various departments and committees. “An added bonus to the calendar is the option to link minutes of meetings and agendas to calendar dates, which we have done for the Board of Commissioners, Planning Board and Health Board, but others may add this feature as well,” Henzey said.

· More forms to complete online, including a feedback form linked to the homepage that allows citizens to provide input on the website, county issues, customer service experiences or anything other county-related topics. Another form will allow residents to sign up to speak at public hearings or during the public comment periods at Board of Commissioner meetings, while another allows residents to apply online to serve on volunteer boards and committees. The Utilities Department also has added online water service applications.

· Job applicants can apply online for county jobs, except when state applications are required for Social Services and Health Department positions.

· An online services button on the homepage links to a complete listing and link to all of the major county application forms and services available online.

· A cleaner homepage featuring “high-quality photos taken by local resident Duane Hall, which reflect the tremendous beauty and unique qualities of Chatham County,” Henzey said. “He attended our public input session last summer and volunteered his services. He’s very involved with the Camera Club and his photos often are displayed around the county, including the Pittsboro Memorial Library. His photos are the centerpiece of the homepage and also appear throughout the website.”

· A drop-down Quick Links box at the top of the page will allow the county to provide fast access to the most popularly viewed pages.

· A limited number of news items on the homepage helps keep the page uncluttered, Henzey said, but there is a visible link to view all news items. “Older news items are automatically archived.”

· The website is also more user-friendly for visually-impaired users with several features to make it easy for screen readers to audibly identify content, including tables, photos and other images.

Henzey said that the website is still somewhat “a work in progress. We have not yet been able to transition all of the Planning Department’s data, including information related to developments and rezonings. We will have some customized work done this year that should make it easier for them to begin transitioning this information. Just one subdivision development may contain 15 to 20 documents, so it is a major undertaking.”

Henzey said the Tax Office is also in the process of adding a new user-friendly tax records searchable database and it will be linked to the county’s website. “I have had a preview of the new search interface and it is going to be another outstanding citizen-friendly addition. This should be ready in the next few weeks.”

As of July 17, anyone accessing the old homepage will be redirected to the new website address. “However, we are keeping our old web address for a while until we no longer need any of the information on it.”

Henzey said that many hours of hard work were required by departments to prepare for the transition. “Two groups deserve special recognition. First, the Management and Information Systems Department, especially Michael Bradley, provided valuable guidance on the technical aspects and helped with staff training.”

Second, two teams of employees helped with the design phase and the selection of the new website software, both requiring a request for proposals process. Besides Henzey and Bradley, the team members included Nadine Perry from the Waste Management Department, Neha Shah from the Pittsboro-Siler City Convention & Visitors Bureau, Jason Sullivan from the Planning Department and Jody Moore from Management and Information Systems.

In the end, “the input of residents and employees had the greatest impact on the website. Nearly 100 residents either attended a public meeting or returned surveys on what they expected from the website. We also heard from 15% of our employees, which is an amazing survey response, and another 22 attended a special input session.”

Henzey said that several parts of the website will be enhanced over time, such as adding more information about the county’s cultural and economic history. “We also expect more departments to add calendars and content over time as well.”