Finding information about the City of Prince Rupert, it's municipal government and various departments has a new look, with the City's online website presence to the world undergoing some visual changes and an upgrade for the mechanics of the site, with the results revealed on Wednesday.
The roll out for the City's improved website options was announced through this media release , as the new look went live, the project an in house effort from staff at City Hall.
The work of City staff an achievement which was hailed by Councillor Blair Mirau shortly after the debut.
The new look is described by the City as a major overhaul, featuring improved security, ability to search and compatibility with mobile devices and is designed to improve the overall friendliness of the site.
Much as it was with the previous website, there are six elements at the top of the page to provide your entry point to exploring the web site's options: Community, Business Development, City Hall, Services, Hays 2.0 and the Go Map
Each one offers the opportunity to access further information related to the overall theme.
Community: About Prince Rupert, Tourism, Arts and Culture, Community Resources Directory, Funding for Community Organizations, Transportation, Invasive Species and Noxious weeds
Emergency Social Services Information
Business and Development: Developing and Building in Prince Rupert, Business Licences, Commercial Vehicle Licence, Economic Development Office, Purchasing and Tenders
City Hall: Mayor and Council, Council Meetings, Elections, Bylaws and Practices, Departments, City Financials, Property Taxes, Utility Fees, Community Planning
City Services: Recreation, Infrastructure, Cemetery Services, Garbage and Recycling, Public Safety, Cow Bay Marina, Weather, Online Services
Hays 2.0: Becoming a Global Community, First Nations Partnerships, Sustainable City 2030, Re:Build Rupert, Re:Design Rupert, Updates
Go Map: The City's multi layered map of the community where further information related to lots, civic addresses and other data requests can be explored.
At first glimpse, the look is much cleaner than the previous edition, though much of the information seems to be the same content that was found prior to yesterday's launch, with few new features to make note of.
The City Hall segment has been given significant focus, with information for the most part restricted to the current year. Past Council Agendas and Minutes from each session are limited to the 2018 calendar year, with an advisory that items prior to 2018 are available upon request from Administration.
One note on the review of the year so far, the City Council section however doesn't indicate how many times that Council has met in a Closed Session, as opposed to the publicly scheduled sessions that are listed.
The website also lists the range of committees that have been created over the last few years, however there is no list of names of those who serve on the committees or contact points or background information for those that may wish to explore the work of the 12 that are listed.
As before, you can get a snapshot of the serving City council members from the website, though the February passing of long time council member Nelson Kinney, who had been serving his last term of office this year, is not mentioned in the council overview. His passing and time of service to the community is something that should have been noted in some fashion on the page, serving as a tribute to that work until the next council takes office in October.
The new look so far, has also missed a chance to add to the information flow from City Council, what might make for a helpful contribution to the official record of civic governance in Prince Rupert would be segments offering up a listing of attendance for each council session and how council members voted on each issue.
As well, a listing of travel by City Council members noting where they were and how long they were away is not included, along with a breakdown of travel and business expenses claimed by Council members, something which might have made for a welcome addition to the transparency of council work
The City Financials page features much of the same material as that of the previous edition of the website, though in the case of the Finance Department, you can review Annual Reports dating back to 2003.
While the detailed listings of Financial Information include entries dating back to 2006
The Hays 2.0 section, features notes on the range of initiatives that have been launched by the current City CouncilH however that archive of notes could use a few updates, with much of the information related to the launch of the programs with little in the way of advisories on the progress of those plans.
As the new design launches, there may be a few glitches along the way, broken links or missing information from sections you select for browsing.
Should you find something that isn't working properly, or have questions or suggestions for City Staff, you are asked to contact Veronika Stewart, the City's Manager of Communications she can be reached at veronika.stewart@princerupert.ca
You can begin your tour of the new look website here.
Below are links to the websites around the Northwest, where you can explore how Prince Rupert information flow compares to that of other nearby communities
Port Edward
North Coast Regional District
Terrace
Kitimat
Kitimat-Stikine Regional District
Smithers
Masset
Queen Charlotte
Skidegate
Lax Kw'alaams
Metlakatkla
For more items of interest related to Prince Rupert City Council see our archive page here.
To return to the most recent blog posting of the day, click here.
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