2004-09-22 CC Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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The Communication Task Force was concerned about the information currently on the web site as well as the ability to communicate using the web site. When the Communication Task Force first met and pulled up the city web site, the information was outdated. The names of the council members had not been changed, the newsletter was old, and the City Council minutes were not up-to-date. The basic information is good, but the sections that have informational changes are very hard to manage. Users could link to several local businesses from the Centerville web site, but the "Contact Us" section only had a list of phone numbers and e-mail address for City Hall. The Communication Task Force approached Media Junction with the possibility of adding a bulletin board for users to communicate. Media Junction would be able to upgrade the web site at a cost of$I,OOO. In order for the City web site to be effective, people have to be given access to the most current information possible. They also need a way to communicate concerns. If either of these two elements is missing, the number of users going to the Centerville web site will surely decrease. The Communication Task Force studied several possibilities, which are listed along with prices. 1. Media Junction - City Administrator will need to develop a better plan to keep updates current. Add a bulletin board for communication purposes. Cost: $1,000 for bulletin board, $40 per hour to update, and $50 per month host fees. 2. Laser Fiche - Document imaging that combines storage of records and a web ~.t:l link for users to obtain information. This system is very user friendly with the IF' added feature of storing documents. Cost: $14,694 plus $9,000 per year for the web link. 3. Twin Cities Media - Create a web site that is more user friendly, with the ability to update information controlled by the City. Cost: Approximately $8,000 and $50 per month for host fees. 4. Web for Cities (GovOffice.com) - Web site created by the League of Minnesota Cities (LMC) for cities to create and maintain their own web sites. Cost: $500 start-up fee and $35 per month for host fees. Recommendation The Communication Task Force recommends GovOffice.Com as the best value for the Centerville Web site.