Chesterfield.mo.us has been recognized by Juggle as one of the top city government websites in the state of Missouri. Below you'll find an interview with Matt Haug, Information Technology Manager for the City of Chesterfield.
- Chesterfield.MO.US is a top-notch web portal; what has been your role in its development?
I was/am the website manager. Our website is based on a custom Content Management System. Each department has users assigned to edit their section of the site. My primary duty was and is to guide the on-going development of the site, assist content managers when necessary, and conceptualize new features and functionality for the sites continuing development. Our site was developed and is maintained by Captiva Marketing, a local web development and marketing company.
- How have the members of the Chesterfield local government and officials worked with you in developing this site?
Our website was a collaborative effort.
- A team was assembled from employees in each department. Each team member determined their departments needs based on the follow criteria:
- Frequent requests asked of them by the public
- Complaints about our current website
- What their needs going forward were.
- The results from each team were brought to the department heads for review and approval.
- Our I.T. Advisory committee, made up of citizens and appointed by City Council, was asked to look at our website needs from the public’s point of view.
Working together these teams and the city’s management laid the framework for our website.
- Can you summarize the history of Chesterfield’s web portal?
The website redesign was a two year project from conceptualization to roll out in July of 2009.
- What are the overarching objectives of Chesterfield’s current e-government initiatives?
Provide accurate information to the citizens of Chesterfield, in a fast and efficient manner.
- From a marketing standpoint, what are some of the strategies that you have utilized to draw attention to the information and services provided by Chesterfield.MO.US, both on- and off-line?
We have utilized our quarterly print newsletter, The Citizen, and also utilized the local media to help with articles about the features on the web site.
Staff makes a concerted effort when speaking with customers on the phone to direct them to the web site for the information they are seeking, helping them navigate to those areas over the phone so they can see the ease of use.
- How has citizen feedback influenced the development of Chesterfield’s e-government services?
Citizen feedback was crucial in development of our website. We based the navigation, features, and information on input from citizens as well as our I.T. Advisory committee. Going forward, citizen feedback is paramount, as the citizens are our audience.
- What is the most-used feature or service on the site?
We have several features and services that see heavy usage.
- Our Webmail service: Webmail allows residents to “sign-up” to receive email on various subjects they may find of interest.
- We have over 800 followers of the Police twitter feed. Optionally, users can view the feed on the Police webpage.
- GIS Interactive Maps - Users can get detailed information about parcels, streets, subdivisions, …etc. This service even allows users to create a custom map by adding “mark-ups” to the map and printing this custom view.
- Your "Resident Information Portal" is a really unique and personalized feature - how are you currently using this to get information out to citizens and where do you see room for growth?
Most of the information requests that our Customer Service Representatives receive can be found by using this portal. A resident can find out everything the City “know” about their parcel/address by using this portal. Additionally we pull information from St. Louis Counties, assessor’s office.
We are currently working on a similar portal to provide business related information. The goal is to give residents an efficient source of information regarding the businesses in our community.
- Where do you see e-government heading in the next 2-3 years? What new technologies have you already incorporated, and are there any other features you're looking to add?
I see e-government becoming even more prevalent and transparent in the near future. In the next 3-6 months we will be going live with three very unique services:
- An on-line Request for Action portal where residents can submit requests or tickets about things like potholes or tree limbs down. The system will allow the submitter to “track” the status of their ticket throughout it life-cycle from the initial request until resolution by the City
- An eLicensing and permit portal where businesses can renew their licenses on-line--from paying for the license to printing it out--a full one-stop solution
- A Parks Resource Reservation application that will allow people to check the availability of parks resources like practice fields and pavilions. Schedule/Reserve and ultimately pay for said reservations on –line.
- What else would you like to tell us about Chesterfield.MO.US?
We are proud of our web site and its many unique features, and the fact that it was a collaborative effort in coming up with the new design and content. It continuously evolves as we have the capabilities to create new and updated features and information from across all departments within the City.