CCP 07-31-2000 - Laserfiche WebLink

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I ~ e e e CITY OF ARDEN HILLS MEMORANDUM DATE: July 18, 2000 TO: Mayor and City Council Jennifer Chaput, City Planner~ Web site Task Force Information relating to the Creation of a City Website FROM: SUBJECT: Web site Creation EXDerience: Lon!! Lake The Website Task Force asked that I put together a memo for the benefit of the Council regarding my experiences with setting up a website. While employed with the City of Long Lake as their City Planner, I volunteered to create a website using Microsoft Frontpage. I was not experienced with this program and learned it as I created a website for the City. The Long Lake staff discussed what kind of basic information they wanted to see on the site and started from that point. A basic website was created with a main page, linking separate pages for each committee and a page of frequently asked questions. Agendas and minutes for each committee were updated on a weekly basis. This was easily accomplished since agendas and minutes were already in electronic format and could be directly inserted into FrontPage. FrontPage is a user-friendly program that operates very much like a word program. Any problems that were encountered in using this program are typical of any computer-related problems that are learned, as you become more familiar with a program. The website continued to grow over a few months. Initially, it took no longer than a few hours to pick a template to use for the site and input general information. The updating of the minutes and agendas was easily done within a half-hour on a weekly basis. Ifkept up to date, the work is minimal in maintaining the website. Eventually, the Zoning Ordinance and map, as well as the Sign Ordinance were added onto the site. This reduced a lot ofrequests for faxed information. Each section ofthe Zoning Ordinance was accessible as well as the map of districts. Land use applicants found this to be very beneficial since the ordinances were accessible at any time. The map, as well as the street map, was generated using the GIS system that was available to the City. The main page ofthe website was updated weekly with the most current events. There were also pages added on the history of the City, newsletter information, permits, elections, the proposed consolidation with the City of Orono, the relocation of Highway 12, city staff and employment opportunities. This information was in addition to the pages for the elected officials, planning commission, park commission, design review board and economic development authority. A skeleton of the website is attached. This shows how the pages linked to each other, starting with the main page as titled, "CITY OF LONG LAKE". The second row of items are those pages that are linked directly to