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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 04-16-2013 - 3 1 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: April 16, 2013 Action Agenda Item No. 3 SUBJECT: Discussion of the Steps to Redesign the County Web Site DEPARTMENT: County Manager (Public PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No Affairs), Information Technologies ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: New Web Site Design Features and Carla Banks, 919-245-2302 Functionality Jim Northup, 919-245-2276 PURPOSE: To receive an overview of the process involved with the redesign of the County Web site. BACKGROUND: The County's Public Affairs Office and Information Technologies Department are moving forward with the steps involved with redesigning the County's Web site. The content management and oversight of the Web site will be managed by the Public Affairs Office. This initiative is identified in the 2012 Strategic Information Technologies Plan, which indicates the need to make the Web site more functional and user-friendly. The Board members and staff who were surveyed by the UNC School of Government identified deficiencies in the overall design, layout, navigation options, and ability to update or create new content. A committee consisting of David Hunt, Jim Northrup, Kathy Zopfi, Keith Chnupa, and Carla Banks has been meeting since October 2012 to identify the needs for creating a dynamic Web site. The financial impact is estimated to range between $40,000 and $70,000 for the startup, plus annual Web hosting fees, which will be determined once a vendor has been selected. The Web site redesign will result in enhancing online services currently available and improving the County's image, displaying a modern and professional Web presence. • The first component is upgrading and improving the experience for people who visit the Web site • The second objective is to streamline staff efficiency with the installation of a robust Content Management System. This component will minimize the time and effort required to create and modify pages on the Web site. FINANCIAL IMPACT: Startup of the redesigned Web site is estimated to range between $40,000 and $70,000, plus annual Web hosting fees, which will be determined once a vendor has been selected. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board receive the overview, discuss, and provide any direction on any missing elements or aspects in need of clarification. 2 New Web Site Design Features and Functionality Web Visitor/User Benefits Content Organization The new solution will provide citizens with the choice of viewing content using a high-level taxonomy similar to the following: • Residents • Visitors • Business • Government • Online Services • "I Want To" Listing • Quick Links/Buttons Provide drop down type menus for each department that will include sub-menus (fly-outs) as needed. Menus will be viewable without using horizontal or vertical scrolling. Language Translation Provide for Web site content to be translated to a different language selected by the user. Once the language is selected, this language will continue to be used for the duration of the user's visit. A disclaimer approved by the County Attorney will be displayed,prior to language selection. Slideshows and Videos Provide ability for County staff to create slideshows and post videos. Slideshows will include navigation so that the user can navigate to specific slides. Event Calendar Web Content Editors will be able to create content that is automatically attached to a calendar. The expiration features will also apply to the calendars. This means if content is expired it will no longer show on the Web site or the calendars. Visitors will be able to view the calendar and view the page(s) attached to an event. Visitors will have the option to look at department or division calendars or the county-wide calendar. Each calendar will have one or more content editors. The calendar editor will have the option of including their content on the county-wide calendar; however, the approver/administrator must approve all calendar events before they are displayed on the county-wide calendar. Section 508 Compliant The new solution will include tools for generating "Section 508" compliant content, which is a requirement that all content be accessible to people with limited dexterity, low vision, or other disabilities. Automatic Formatting for Mobile Devices The proposed solution will determine the type of device requesting information and serve the information using mobile templates to accommodate the smaller wireless screens. The Web user 3 will also have the option to view the full site using HTML5 if they are using a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet. Alternatively, a dedicated mobile Web site can be used, but this must be built dynamically by the proposed solution to minimize the creation and maintenance efforts typically required for a separate mobile Web site. Departmental Staff Benefits WYSIWYG Editing The solution will use a What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) editor for creating and maintaining content, allowing users to quickly and easily author and edit content, insert video or paste content directly from MS Word or other sources. Content Preview This will allow editors to be able to see exactly how the content will look before publishing or submitting it for review and/or approval. Security and Permissions The new solution will include a role-based security model. The security model will be used to determine whether a user can create content, edit content, approve content, and administer content levels within the site and/or users. Each user can be assigned any combination of the following user roles: Author, Editor, and Approver/Administrator. Scheduling This will allow the County to publish content by setting a date for it to be published on the site. The new site will also allow a function to schedule content to expire and be removed from the live Web site. Form Builder The new solution will include functionality to allow Web Content Editors to build on-line forms. When visitors fill out the forms on the Web site, the results will be saved to the database and made available for reporting in Excel and CSV file formats or sent to a specific email address or list of e-mail addresses. Social Media Integration The new solution will include the option to publish Web site content directly to social media sites, including but not limited to Facebook, Twitter and You Tube.