The website for the Town of Bethlehem has been named among the top in the state by a local, independent think tank.
The Empire Center for Public Policy based in Albany annually conducts a review of municipality and school district websites statewide. The SeeThroughNY Local Government Website Report Card looked at websites for 500 of the state’s largest municipalities and districts, with 85 percent of them earning a failing grade.
None of the websites scored higher than a “B” grade.
“We’re very proud of our website,” said Supervisor John Clarkson. “If you look at some other municipality’s websites, ours provides a lot more information.”
The town’s website went through a redesign last year, with Kansas-based company Civic Plus. The hope was for the website to become more user-friendly and to integrate further use of social media. With the upgrade came a mobile application, which residents can use to access the town’s website through their smartphone.
The cost of the project was $25,000, with an annual maintenance fee of $4,000. Funds for the project had been set aside in the 2013 budget.
A tool on both the website and mobile app includes a request and complaint tracking system. Residents are able to notify the town about subjects such as potholes or code violations immediately, and the messages will automatically be sent to the correct department.
Another feature called “My Dashboard” allows residents to create a login account, and then customize the site by picking the types of town information that most interests them. Notifications, meeting schedules and agendas are then e-mailed to them.
Bethlehem received a grade of “B,” scoring a total of 118 points.
Clarkson agreed the upgrade provides residents with more modern tools and is something he uses himself. The town scored extra points for its webcasting system, which broadcasts and archive videos of town meetings online.
“It’s something very few municipalities do, which is a shame because it costs very little money,” said Clarkson. “It’s not only great for residents, but great for town officials themselves who may want to go back and review something before a meeting.”
Points were given based on how easy a municipality’s website was to navigate and certain information could be found online such as contact information, public meetings, budgets, public information, financial reports, taxes and fees, facilities and services, along with contracts.
Clarkson said the town scored well, but missed points because the town doesn’t put its contracts online. He now plans to review this, and will hopefully soon be placing employee contracts online.
“We’re pleased to be recognized,” said Clarkson. “Anything that can help people get access to more information is good, and we’re very pleased with the ranking.”
