The town of Mamaroneck intends to launch a new website later this year. Town Supervisor Nancy Seligson mentioned the plan during her State of the Town address on Jan. 6.
As part of the transition, the town will be switching from their current website designer, Virtual Towns & Schools, to Civic Plus, the designer used by the cities of White Plains and New Rochelle.
Seligson, a Democrat, said Virtual Town & Schools was not satisfying some of Mamaroneck’s needs. The supervisor added that town officials wanted a website that was more interactive and had more customizability. Town officials began researching alternative providers last year.
Implementation of the new site will be overseen by Rosalind Cimino, the town’s information technology director and webmaster. Cimino was hired in October 2015 when the town created an IT department.
“My suggestion was to go with a vendor that could offer the responsive design and the communications tools that [town officials] were really looking for,” Cimino said.
On the current website, residents can download application forms for licenses and permits, but still have to print and mail or hand-deliver them to the Town Center. The new website is expected to allow residents to submit these forms directly online, according to the supervisor.
“We are looking forward to having a lot more transaction capabilities on the new website,” Seligson said.
Civic Plus provides services including the ability to pay taxes and parking tickets, and to register for recreation events in real time. In addition, Civic Plus sites allow municipalities to post service bids for contractors, vendors and consultants.
Cimino said the town is also looking into Civic Ready, a program provided by Civic Plus through which the town can alert residents of emergencies via text or email. A smartphone application may also be available. “I can see town apps down the road, certainly,” Cimino said. “And this website definitely offers us the opportunity to do that.”
The new site will also have a mobile-friendly version. “They have a responsive design,” the town IT director said. “It knows what device you’re using and it adapts the site to that device.”
The website is scheduled to be available for preview near the end of April and officials expect the site to launch in May.
The new site will be held at townmamaroneck.org, although the current URL, townofmamaroneck.org, will automatically redirect visitors to the new site.
According to Town Administrator Stephen Altieri, the transition to a new website is part of a larger project of improving communications with the community.
Along with developing a new website, the town is looking into hiring a consultant to assist with overall communications to residents.
