By: CJ Jones
During an Oct. 20 Collegedale City Commission meeting, the Board of Commissioners unanimously approved plans to refresh the city’s official website through Revize Software Systems, marking the next step in improving transparency and accessibility for residents.
At the city commission meeting, City Staff Planner Jason Allin advocated for the project, which is part of a broader effort to modernize city communication and make local services more accessible online. The new website will consolidate city information, offer a cleaner layout and meet ADA accessibility standards to ensure all residents can use it effectively, all concerns raised by City Commissioners.
City officials emphasized the need for an improved website during the meeting.
“I’ve always found our website to be terrible,” Mayor Morty Lloyd said. “[It’s] not user-friendly at all.”
Originally, the city had set aside $50,000 for a complete overhaul of its website. After discussion among commissioners and Allin, officials decided to continue working with the city’s current provider, Revize, which will save nearly $44,000.
“We thought it might be better just to stay with who we are; it’s working out for us,” said Allin when covering the upgrades for the website in the meeting.
Under the revised plan, the total project cost will be $10,050, including redesign and annual hosting fees. According to Allin, the $3,100 annual hosting fee was already paid in July, and the remaining $6,950 redesign fees will begin once the contract is finalized.
Allin also added that the new website will prioritize ease of use, accessibility and compatibility with mobile devices.
“Our goal is to make it where you don’t have to scroll as much, and stuff is just right there in front of your face,” said Allin. “It’s going to be geared for mobile, because everyone’s usually on their phones when they’re looking.”
Commissioners expressed strong support for the redesign and the associated cost savings of staying with Revize.
“I love the fact that it’s saving $44,000 to stick with the same one,” said Commissioner Laura Howse.
Although not all city departments are currently on the same website, Allin mentioned that Collegedale plans to include them in future updates.
Commissioners raised concern over the websites’ ADA standards as well as ease of access to documents and videos. According to Allin, improvements will be made to the website in order to meet ADA accessibility standards as well as transparency by providing larger text options, as well as including archived videos and city documents.
“It is amazing how much it helps for the website to be accessible and searchable,” said Howse.
Allin mentioned that the city has until 2028 to meet the ADA requirements.
The city’s five-year contract with Revize includes ongoing technical support and a free redesign in the fifth year, ensuring that the website stays up to date, according to the Revize web services sales agreement.
Once completed, city commissioners believe that the redesigned website will give residents of Collegedale more streamlined access to city services, improved government transparency and a modern look.
In addition to the website changes, the city is planning to invite residents to help shape its branding assets. Through a design competition, participants will be able to submit proposals for brand resources, including a new logo and color scheme for city materials. The winner will receive a $2,500 cash prize, and the winning design will be used on signage around the city.
According to Allin, the branding initiative will not replace the city’s seal but will be used for social media and other marketing materials. Officials said in the commission meeting that they hope the project will encourage locals and students from nearby schools, including Southern, to participate.
“I love the idea of getting the community involved,” said Howse.
