Ferndale City Council Begins Talk on Upgrading Website
The Ferndale City Council wants to improve the city website, making it easier to navigate and adding services for residents.
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The Ferndale City Council held a special meeting Monday night, prior to the regularly scheduled Council meeting at 7:30 p.m., to have an informal discussion on upgrading the city's website.
"This is meant to be a fluid conversation," Ferndale City Manager April McGrath said, kicking off an open discussion.
Common points of improvement included making the website user friendly, keeping information up-to-date, providing resident services on the site such as paying bills, establishing a brand for the city of Ferndale, as well as creating social media pages and policies.
"We want to be making sure we are moving (technological upgrades) into the 21st Century for local government," Councilwoman Melanie Piana said.
Ferndale Mayor Dave Coulter said he wants to see the website as a one-stop shop for Ferndale business. "It should be customer friendly, not only easy to navigate but also a way to do every form of business here," he said.
Improving communication
A big component of improving the site was also a discussion on communication between the city and its residents, such as that during the multi power outage in July that left thousands of Ferndale residents without power. During the outage, which occurred in the midst of the hottest period of time in southeast Michigan in 15 years, the city relied mostly on the media and city officials personal Facebook pages to get the information out about what was happening.
"Ferndale Patch was a great source of information, but the city should have an official source of getting the word out," Councilman Scott Galloway said.
During the outage in July, Coulter sent out robocalls telling residents the Gerry Kulick Community Center would open as an all-night cooling center for those looking to cool off during the nearly 100-degree weather. But it didn't go to every resident.
Coulter had an idea of adding a database that residents could sign up for to receive alerts either via text or phone, similar to the robocalls but reaching more residents. There was also discussion about utilizing social media for instances like this as well. "The city has to have a Facebook page," Coulter said.
Not just communicating, but interacting
Piana discussed ways that the city could use social media beyond basic communication. "We can get feed back from voters, polling systems – poll the community in a new way," she said.
She added that the city should make use of these new technologies and integrate them into the cities new website. "We're not just putting info out, but interacting with our residents and businesses," she said.
The website, Piana added, needs to be attractive and user friendly to not just current residents and businesses but also new residents and future businesses.
Galloway added that he would like to see a more informal discussion available on a new website that could include a mayor's blog or blogs from the department heads.
Improving, but you can still pay at the counter
McGrath said that although the hope is to bring in aspects of paying taxes and water bills, among other city services, the traditional way of doing business will still be offered.
"We want to take a look at website and focus it in a new direction, make it more user friendly, have the ability to be self-directed," she said. "Not only for residents but it's the staff's wish as well. If you can do business on the website, there is less traffic on phones or front desk. Still, there will always be that component."
McGrath added that consolidating city websites under one platform will also improve efficiency. Currently, the city has separate websites for the Ferndale Police Department, Ferndale Recreation, city government and the 43rd District Court. "Each would have their own home," she said. "Reasons for doing that would be to save on cost, time by having them on one platform."
The management of the new sites would come out of the city manager's office.
But these are all the things that council wants to see one new site.
What doesn't it want to see?
"Things that blink of flash," Piana said.
This was a preliminary discussion on the upgrades to the website. McGrath said request for proposals have gone out yet. Specific upgrades haven't been determined yet, thus cost is still unknown.
A Scott Dietlin
6:52 am on Tuesday, September 27, 2011
I am all for upgrading the City website but at what cost is this going to be to the residents? I have used the City website currently and find it to be very "user friendly" and when it comes to things such as the power outages that happened this past summer no one is going to be able to use the site as they won't have power to use there computer. Again, this is the attempt of our city officials spending unnecessary money during these difficult times for all. Why does this upgrade have to take place "now"? Sorry, but I find this to be a waste of the tax payers money being used as an open check book just as I predicted would happen with the recent Headlee Override that I voted against!
Terry Parris Jr.
9:41 am on Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Scott: Do you know how much it is going to cost? Or is it any price to upgrade is too much?
Jon Kaslander
1:05 pm on Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Contemporary websites can serve a page tailored to a mobile device so when the power does go out, the city site can continue to provide updates and information to those able to access it with their phones or tablets.
Streamlining and making information more accessible is exactly what the city government should be doing. This is not a waste of money or resouces.
Curt Snitker
8:18 am on Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Upgrade the City website? As a homeowner and tax payer I say, absolutely! Ferndale's current website is ok but, has had the same look for a long time. It would be awesome to be able to pay city bills, download permit applications, etc online. This is forward thinking and in the end will save taxpayer $$. I say "go for it". It's not 1955!!
JDN
8:24 am on Tuesday, September 27, 2011
I wonder if the new city manager really knows how backward the city of Ferndale is when it comes to online bill payment? I use my bill payment service to pay my eight monthly property tax installments. The city has instituted a new $10 per payment penalty if you do not include the payment coupon. Does anyone know of a bill payment service that can accomodate sending a coupon with a payment? I'm pretty sure that is impossible. So, while they talk a good game, in reality they penalize the citizens for using a modern method to make payments.
Terry Parris Jr.
9:43 am on Tuesday, September 27, 2011
JDN: It appears that this would be an upgrade from the current system. Which could means that it wouldn't be the same system.
Haley Querro
10:06 am on Tuesday, September 27, 2011
I think this is a wonderful idea. Will the city be utilizing a local design firm to do the job?
Terry Parris Jr.
10:11 am on Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Good point Haley, but all of that hasn't come to light yet. This was the beginning conversation. A request for proposal for the work hasn't been established yet. I'll keep you updated though.
Aimee Zoyes
3:07 pm on Tuesday, September 27, 2011
I second that thought. Where will the RFP be posted, once it's released? We are a local design firm and would love the opportunity to work with the city.
Terry Parris Jr.
3:21 pm on Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Aimee: The RFP should be out in the next couple of weeks, the City Manager told me today. It'll go out for bid. I'll keep on it and let everyone know when it's up.
Linda Baker
12:13 pm on Tuesday, September 27, 2011
This is a great idea - I'm not fully into the 21st century yet but am getting there and my computer ability is expanding so this would be practical for me especially since I can't get to City Hall on Fridays anymore. This would be easy for Seniors to take advantage of and I'm thinking that if there were a power outage like the first one we experienced this summer - even if we couldn't access the city website from our homes, lots of people would be able to get info outside of the outage area (perhaps at their place of work) and keep the rest of us informed.
I don't see this as an open checkbook but as an eventual cost saving/info expanding aproach by city employees and elected officials - they pay taxes here also and are just as interested in being watchful of spending.
Thomas Gagne
3:32 pm on Tuesday, September 27, 2011
To run the city, protect its citizens, and do the other basic things the city must do an updated website is low, if non-existent, on the priority list. The time for improving the website was in 2005.
Considering all the demands placed on a smaller city staff, is redesigning the best use of their limited time?
Mr. Snitker's comment suggests the redesign will save money, but I didn't read in the article anything about the redesign saving money, saving time, reducing city expenses, or quoting the results of a cost-benefit analysis.
Was there a cost-benefit included in the packet? If not, citizens' speculations on the cost or savings from the project are uninformed. Without a specific plan, the costs and benefits can't be calculated.
If the decision to move forward on this was because it'll be neat, more contemporary, and a better reflection of how hip we believe ourselves to be, then neither the citizens or the council have learned a lesson from the recent economic downturn, and are acting irresponsibly with the purse and voters' trust.
I agree with Ms. Piana there shouldn't be any blinking text on the website, but this potential expenditure has warning lights flashing all around it.
Terry Parris Jr.
3:42 pm on Tuesday, September 27, 2011
"Mr. Snitker's comment suggests the redesign will save money, but I didn't read in the article anything about the redesign saving money, saving time, reducing city expenses, or quoting the results of a cost-benefit analysis.
Was there a cost-benefit included in the packet? If not, citizens' speculations on the cost or savings from the project are uninformed. Without a specific plan, the costs and benefits can't be calculated."
At the beginning of the article, I quoted McGrath as saying this is meant to be an informal fluid conversation to see what the website might need. No proposal, or RFP was presented. This meeting was meant to discuss with the /new/ city manager what council would like to see in a website. Let's not put the cart before the horse just yet.
Thomas Gagne
7:27 am on Wednesday, September 28, 2011
If that's the case, Terry, then I wonder why they would tease the residents in the first place. Sure, a new website would be nice and a lot cheaper than a new city hall, but wasn't city council just begging for money this spring? Now they have so much of it they're brainstorming about how terrific a new website will be? That's hardly a reason to spend money before 2015 when the extra Headlee money runs out.
Terry Parris Jr.
8:32 am on Wednesday, September 28, 2011
"If that's the case, Terry, then I wonder why they would tease the residents in the first place."
It's still news. I went to all of those financial planning committee meetings without any actual concrete action coming out of them and reported the progress. I think it is important to report on progress.
Thomas Gagne
9:09 am on Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Terry, I wrote, ".. I wonder why /they/ would tease the residents.." not why Patch would tease the residents. My comment wasn't directed to you or Patch, it was intended toward the city.
Terry Parris Jr.
10:18 am on Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Tom: Sorry! I totally miss read that. My apologies!!
USMC6742
9:04 am on Wednesday, September 28, 2011
I think that this expense is going to be just a first that our City Government is going to go ahead with, with or without, any consideration for the tax payers during this economic times that many of us are struggling with. As for Mr. Blackwell every citizen has a right to voice their opinion with regards to issues on the Pulse. It is a open forum for citizens to voice what they feel about the wasteful spending with regards to our city government and that people are watching to make sure that there tax dollars are being put to good use and not being wasted. Perhaps someone should get some duck tape and wrap it around your mouth to shut you up for a month so that these opinions can be heard without your verbal attacks. Get a life!
Terry Parris Jr.
10:16 am on Wednesday, September 28, 2011
It's a forum where residents can also comment and question on other comments, too. Keep that in mind, Scott.
Mark Blackwell
1:57 pm on Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Aha. "People are watching."
Say no more.
Now we know precisely what busy little group this person represents. The "Keep The Camera Running Until Something, Anything Happens So We Can Make Something Out Of It" group.
Jim Routhier
4:23 pm on Friday, September 30, 2011
Exactly Mark
It's the same people who cry about the supposed noise levels downtown and cry because they think the directional guide signs are "wasteful"
Given a chance, these people will always be contrary simply because that is their nature. It's rather pathetic