New county website slated for April debut

At the Monday commissioners' workshop County Information Technology Director Lance Bishop updated the county commissioners on the status of the new county website.

“The timeline we are looking at for the new website is April,” Bishop said. “We have started the process of the new website, but it is a good three to five months for the site to go live.”

It was previously estimated that the website would be completed in February if the development began in November when the resolution was passed for the purchase of the new website and its services.

The current county website offers a main homepage and then additional sub-pages for each department.

Bishop said within these next couple of months the IT Department will be working with each department for their section of the website.

“We are right now getting the basic infrastructure in place and basic outlines and as we move forward we will get to a place to talk to the different departments on what they want for the website,” Bishop said.

One recommendation Bishop presented was for departments and especially those with elected officials to have their photo in their section of the new website.

“If I was someone looking at the website I would connect to you and your office if I see a real picture of you because now you're a real person,” Bishop said.

The cost of the new website is $19,000. After the first year, the website will cost $4,700 each following year.

As recommendations and ideas come forward Bishop reiterated that, currently, they are working on the core infrastructure of the website currently and then will move from there.