CCP 09-18-2000 - Laserfiche WebLink

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e . . t:-fGt-t'\1011 &1 /~ CITY OF ARDEN HILLS MEMORANDUM DATE: August 15, 2000 TO: Mayor and City Council Jennifer Chaput, City Planner C(/ '" FROM: SUBJECT: Web site Creation Experience: Long Lake The Web site Task Force asked that I put together some infOlmation 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 PlaIf1ler, I created a web site using Microsoft Frontpage. I was not experienced with this program and leamed it as I created the 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 wcekly 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 fmniliar with a progrmn. The web site 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 inpnt 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 of requests for faxed information. Each section of the 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 of the web site was updated weekly with the most current events. There wcre also pages added on the history ofthe 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 ofthe website is attached. This shows how the pages linked to each other, stal1ing with the main page as titled, "CITY OF LONG LAKE". The second row of items are those pages that are linked direetly to the main page by buttons. The third row are those pages linked to the second row with