Utica Observer-Dispatch: Utica's new website provides easier
access, tax payment capability
Published:
Monday, April 6, 2015 - 11:57
I wanted to share with you the following article that was published by the Utica Observer Dispatch
Steve Schneider, a professor at SUNY Polytechnic Institute and director of the Communication and Information Design Program, said the fact the site can be seen on mobile platforms is a good thing.
“(Many) citizens have basically some kind of digital device … and when they need to go to City Hall, they reach for their pockets – not for their car keys, but for their smartphones,” he said.
Over the last several weeks, the city has been revamping its website ( www.cityofutica.com) and moving away from a site that the Empire Center for Public Policy gave a grade of “D” as part of its SeeThroughNY Website Report Card.
AT A GLANCE
The city has a new website at www.cityofutica.com. Here's a look at some of the things that can be found at the site: - Latest news. - Event calendar. - City department informatio...
Posted Apr. 6, 2015 at 5:00 AM Updated at 8:09 AM UTICA
No, don’t adjust your computer monitor.
That’s how Utica’s website is supposed to look.
Over the last several weeks, the city has been revamping its website ( www.cityofutica.com) and moving away from a site that the Empire Center for Public Policy gave a grade of “D” as part of its SeeThroughNY Website Report Card.
That report card examined 500 government websites and graded them based on whether they provided contact information, spending data, labor contracts or public meeting records, and the ease of locating those items.
The city’s former website was in disrepair as old servers and an outdated design had caused problems uploading new content and maintaining existing information.
“We had to build a website that was not outdated … because that would really reflect on the city,” said Councilwoman Samantha Colosimo-Testa, R-6, who co-chairs the council’s Communications and Internet Computer Technology Committee. “The website’s much easier to access now than it was previously.”
Mayor Robert Palmieri will conduct an 11 a.m. news conference today to further highlight and explain the changes made to the site, including a new layout and more accessible and updated information.
The revamped site — which was a team effort among the council, Mayor’s Office and the Comptroller’s Office — is expected to be constantly improved and updated, according to the Mayor’s Office.
One major change for city residents will be the opportunity for them to pay their county, school, city and water and sewer taxes through the website.
Kyle Lince, an associate professor of web development at Mohawk Valley Community College, said the new site is “definitely a much cleaner, improved layout” and it looks better organized than the old one.
His first impression is that it mirrored a lot of the colors – blue and white – of popular social networking sites.
“Just from looking at it, it looks pedestrian,” Lince said. “It’s not very individualized.”
But people are likely to feel more comfortable with the layout color-wise because it’s similar to what they’re seeing on other sites, he said.
“To have a presence is important … because it’s giving the people in the community a sense of ease,” he said. “We have a little more direct connection to that government. We want to be able to trust our local government and we want in some way to feel that comfort.”
Steve Schneider, a professor at SUNY Polytechnic Institute and director of the Communication and Information Design Program, said the fact the site can be seen on mobile platforms is a good thing.
“(Many) citizens have basically some kind of digital device … and when they need to go to City Hall, they reach for their pockets – not for their car keys, but for their smartphones,” he said.
In 2012, the city worked with four area colleges to organize a competition to design a new website. A team of four students from Utica College won the competition in 2013.
But when they began rewriting the code, they used the wrong program and had to start over.
The city that year also purchased new software for the website for $9,870, plus $5,080 in a first-year subscription fee.
Fast forward to 2015, and Colosimo-Testa said the city will continue to keep moving forward.
“It’s just a small component of turning the city around in the technology aspect,” she said.
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