CityOfKotzebue.com has been recognized by Juggle as one of the top city government websites in the state of Alaska. Below you'll find an interview with Donovan Goertz, Webmaster for the City of Kotzebue.
- CityOfKotzebue.com is a solid web portal; what has been your role in its development?
I conceived the idea of a Police and City web-site on my own, as I felt there needed to be a place on-line that residents and visitors could go for good information. I'd done my personal site and another couple of small sites, learning as I went about web-design. The City of Kotzebue, being in Arctic, Alaska and off the road system, is a very unique place, and I wanted to prepare people for the conditions. Until 2008, the whole project was entirely voluntary.
- Can you summarize the history of Kotzebue’s web portal?
Since I work at the Police Department as a Dispatcher and Jailer... on my quiet night shifts I initiated the site with the Chief of Police's permission in 2001. Since it was what I knew the most about, I started with the Police Department, City Council and Jail pages, and quickly expanded to include the Fire Department, the City Administration and Public Works. I began collecting photos and just kept expanding depth and width of the site as I had time to do it.
- From a marketing standpoint, what are some of the strategies that you have utilized to draw attention to the information and services provided by CityOfKotzebue.com, both on- and off-line?
I've actually done very little overall to promote the site. I've posted the URL around town on the bulletin boards, but most traffic comes from search engines finding the city site high on their list due to the wide range of information on the site. I think the site has benefited somewhat from being a big fish in a small pond. Most municipal sites are a bit stiff or boring, but there are many personal sites to make up for them, but that isn't the case here. I made a Facebook page earlier this year to help people find the site.
- What is the most-used feature or service on the site?
I try to feature timely development information, road closures, new or lesser-known laws, and photos of current projects around town. People who have moved away watch what's happening, and residents can know what's going on. My "Moving to Kotzebue" page is very popular, helping to ease transitions.
- How are you solidifying the mantra of “Best Link to the Internet”? In what ways are you connecting citizens to useful resources outside of your website?
I found there was a need for one good page of links for the Police Agencies of Alaska, then I kept sharing links I found useful to everyone on another links by topic page.
- What is the purpose of the guestbook feature and how many people have used it?
There are two Guestbooks, one for the City, and one for the Police site. Both bring me ideas and encouragement, and both also help people find loved ones or friends they've missed. Many people have lived in Kotzebue for just a few years and moved on, and visit the site to see what it's become. I have had many military and non-military send me historical photos from the 1950's through the 1970's. There are over 500 entries on the city guestbook after removing any spam.
- What else would you would like to tell us about CityOfKotzebue.com?
The Cityofkotzebue.com site is but a small reflection of the unique community that is Kotzebue, Alaska. I hope I do it some justice in my representation of and service to it on-line.