CityOfGriffin.com has been recognized by Juggle as one of the top city government websites in the state of Georgia. Below you'll find an interview with James Carr, Web Administrator for the City of Griffin.
- CityOfGriffin.com is a top-notch web portal; what has been your role in its development?
As Web Administrator for the City of Griffin, I designed and maintain the website with participation from various employees throughout the city who supply content and information to distribute to the public.
- What are the overarching objectives of Griffin's current e-government initiatives?
We are beginning to look at ways we can assist citizens with more online services such as bill pay and account maintenance. Also our police department is looking into offering more crime statistic information as well as online reports and traffic citations.
- From a marketing standpoint, what are some of the strategies that you have utilized to draw attention to the information and services provided by CityOfGriffin.com, both on- and off-line?
The city has utilized notices on customer utility bills as well as incorporating the website address in posters and other printed materials.
- How has citizen feedback influenced the development of Griffin's e-government services?
Many citizens send emails requesting more information on various topics and we use this feedback to guide what information needs to be updated or elaborated on the website.
- In what way has harnessing social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc) allowed you to connect more directly and personally with the citizens of Griffin? How have people responded to these social media tools?
The city currently uses Facebook, Twitter and Youtube to provide a more informal way to inform the public of upcoming events and this interaction also provides more feedback to help us improve our online interactions. Citizens regularly post comments and offer information on other events happening in the community.
- How have you worked to ensure your website presents easily accessible government information to citizens and visitors?
I am currently working on making sure the site is Section 508 compliant as well as developing a mobile friendly version.
- In developing the Griffin website what were some of the obstacles that had to be overcome? How did you surpass them?
Previously we dealt with an outside vendor to maintain the website so the site had to be redesigned entirely as well as manually pulling all the content across.
- 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 Griffin's web portal?
More and more services and information will be available through e-government services. It’s exciting to think of providing most services to citizens through our website so they can more conveniently interact with our staff.