ci.Milpitas.CA.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 David Bialczak, Systems Administrator for the City of Milpitas.
- ci.milpitas.ca.gov is a top-notch web portal; what has been your role in its development?
I have the lead role in the development and maintenance of the website.
- Can you summarize the history of Milpitas’ web portal?
Prior to 2000, the website was maintained by an outside service. While the website was maintained by this service, updates to the site were often not performed in a timely manner; we had no control over the look and feel of the site, and the site had a similar design as other government sites maintained by this service.
In 2000 the site was brought in-house and redesigned by a member of our staff. With a new design and features the website was a big improvement over the previous version. However, over time the website quickly turned into cluttered pages where information was difficult to find. There were mini-websites within the website and no common look and feel.
In July of 2008 I was asked to take over responsibility for the site and provide a redesign which would provide a cleaner look and feel, incorporate the e-mail subscription service, as well as make it easier for people to find the information they were looking for. With a lot of help from other members of our IT Staff, this new site went live in March 2009.
- What are the overarching objectives of Milpitas’ current e-government initiatives?
We want to offer the same services on-line as we do at City Hall. Our customers want the same convenience in dealing with the City that they find with online banking and shopping. Obtaining a building permit, business license or pay their utility bill shouldn’t require a trip to City Hall.
- From a marketing standpoint, what are some of the strategies that you have utilized to draw attention to the information and services provided by ci.milpitas.ca.gov, both on- and off-line?
Our website has been featured in the local newspaper and it is the primary resource that customers are directed to. During our televised council Meetings, the website has been offered as a means for citizens to get information and City services. Public e-mailings such as the Recreation Newsletter also direct customers to our website.
- How has citizen feedback influenced the development of Milpitas’ e-government services?
We actively solicit feedback from citizens and hold reviews with each City Department to find if they have received feedback concerning their areas on the website. One of the areas we key on is the type and frequency of information which is being requested by our customers.
- What is the most-used feature or service on the site?
Currently online permitting and online building inspection scheduling are the most popular. We also see a great deal of activity with Recreation programs and class registration as well as online bidding opportunities
- You web portal is easily accessible due to the free WiFi in Milpitas; how does allow greater accessibility aid in your effort to inform citizens?
Our free WiFi allows Citizens to access the City website whenever and where ever they like. On several occasions during public meetings, the website has been accessed wireless to research documents and projects
- How many people use your e-mail subscription? How does this improve the dissemination of information to Milpitas citizens?
Currently just over 2,600 people are signed up for the e-mail subscription service for 32 different categories.
This service greatly improves the timeliness in which information is dissemination by notifying our customers when a change to the site is made for information they are interested in. This notification is usually received by our customers email system within a minute of the change being made.
This has eliminated reproduction and mailing costs for many items such as agendas and meeting minutes.
- 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 Milpitas’ web portal?
The current economic climate dictates to the business world that they must become more productive and do more with less. Local governments are no exception. Providing web services which are convient for our customers to use and reduce government resources (staff time, supplies, equipment, etc.) will become more dominate. The new Geographical Information System (GIS) addition to the Milpitas website follows this logic.
The new GIS section of the website will be released in early September. Aside from containing some cool maps, the site will allow customers to download some of our GIS data for free. The customer gets what they need immediately, and the GIS Department prepares the data only one time.
- What else that you would like to tell us about ci.milpitas.ca.gov?
Being in Silicon Valley, our residents expect that their City will use technology as they do at work and at home to work more effectively and efficiently. Input from the community coupled with the City Council’s commitment to utilize technology to deliver services has been largely responsible for the success of our on-line initiatives.