Belmont.gov has been recognized by Juggle as one of the top city government websites in the state of California. Below you'll find an interview with Valerie Harnish, Information Systems Director for the City of Belmont.
- Belmont.gov is a top-notch web portal; what has been your role in its development?
Belmont.gov is a service provided to our citizens which is responsible for delivering online solutions for the City. As the website’s administrator and Information Services Director, my staff works with all departments to bring online services and information to Belmont residents as well as anyone interested in knowing about our wonderful City. We have developed over 10,000 pages in the past 15 years.
- Can you summarize the history of Belmont's web portal?
The first iteration of the website was created in 1995 and was developed to provide citizen and business access to public information. The website has undergone two major upgrades within that time to provide additional access to information and services. The on-going objective is to enhance and improve the accessibility of public information and electronic transactions. This enables us to provide the most up to date information without the use of additional staff or resources.
- What are the overarching objectives of Belmont's current e-government initiatives?
The City of Belmont continues to strive to stay at the forefront of eGovernment technologies. Our goal is to keep public interest in the site and its online services by continually staying ahead of the curve and offering more services online for the businesses and citizens.
- From a marketing standpoint, what are some of the strategies that you have utilized to draw attention to the information and services provided by Belmont.gov, both on- and off-line?
We use a variety of methods to promote our services including email campaigns, banner ads on the agency web site and on our local PEG television channel. Located in the Silicon Valley, Belmont has a large population of citizens who are very technologically savvy, and Belmont.gov needed to set a high expectation for those citizens. Our Police Department has recently added a social networking site to keep residents informed of current activities.
- How has citizen feedback influenced the development of Belmont's e-government services?
Belmont solicits feedback from all aspects of our community. We make this available through our website Comment Form, email and telephone access. This feedback has provided us with data that was used in developing a project we are currently implementing to be able to provide a 24/7 online City hall.
- What is the most-used feature or service on the site?
I would say that the Search function is the most utilized feature. Citizens are able to search on the entire website, as well as specific areas of interest such as the status of a permit, Code Enforcement issues and status, City Council agendas and minute and Municipal Codes.
Other popular services include the ability to request a building inspection and Recreational class sign ups.
- How has webcasting city council meetings changed the way citizens access important government information?
Webcasting has allowed our citizens to stay informed of City issues while traveling or from the comfort of their homes. Each Council meeting is also available to review on-demand from our website. The Belmont City Council believes that this is an added service that provides government transparency.
- Where do you see e-government heading in the next 2-3 years? Are there any exciting new features or services currently in the works for Belmont's web portal?
We see e-government becoming more user friendly, the ability to provide more information and the ability to conduct the majority of City business online. We are currently constructing our E-Vision project which is a 5 year technology project using innovative technologies. This project is scheduled to be released on the website in early 2012.