ParkCity.org has been recognized by Juggle as one of the top city government websites in the state of Utah. Below you'll find an interview with Scott Robertson, Director of Information Technology for Park City.
- ParkCity.org is a top-notch web portal; what has been your role in its development?
I was responsible for achieving a citywide consensus on the budget, vendor, objectives, functionality, and design of the new website. However, it was the hard work and talents of the individual departments that resulted in an award winning site. Although the site is now streamlined and very efficient, we are still discovering ways to improve it and ways to improve our delivery of information to our citizens.
- Can you summarize the history of Park City’s web portal?
The website had not been upgraded or modified since 2003; therefore, we were not leveraging new technology to improve security, accessibility, functionality, and overall user experience. Our statistics indicated we had a lot of web traffic (which can translate into increased overall benefits) so the website became a city priority.
- What are the overarching objectives of Park City’s current e-government initiatives?
Our key objectives included addressing needs of citizens while providing a visually pleasing experience for our visitors. It was also essential that departments had the web tools necessary to manage their online content, preserve critical information, and automate processes.
- From a marketing standpoint, what are some of the strategies that you have utilized to draw attention to the information and services provided by ParkCity.org, both on- and off-line?
Using our website statistics, we made adjustments to improve the accessibility of prevalent content and updated pages to allow for improved discovery. We simplified our front webpage to bring focus to important information. Most of our marketing efforts have been through newspaper and radio interviews, advertisement on other city-centric websites, and through emails and flyers.
- How has citizen feedback influenced the development of Park City’s e-government services?
Using input from community development outreach efforts, we identified key needs and designed the services accordingly. We also adjusted how information was delivered either through static data or automatic notifications to ensure citizen were apprised of important information, changes, and features.
- What is the most-used feature or service on the site?
This varies according to the season or to current events in Park City. The top three pages include recreation, employment, and transportation. Anything related to Park City’s amazing activities and civic services.
- In what way has harnessing social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) and RSS feeds allowed you to connect more directly and personally with the citizens of Park City?
We are still trying to harness the power of social media and RSS feeds. In fact, we created a Facebook page that was dedicated to showcasing Park City during our bid for the “Google Fiber for Communities” project. We have also used social media as a communication and collaboration tool with select city departments.
- What were the biggest hurdles in developing ParkCity.org, and how did you overcome them?
Surprisingly, the biggest hurdle was the actual appearance of the website. It was very difficult and time-consuming to get a consensus from so many different departments, citizens, and community leaders. Yet, in the end, we were really pleased that our efforts resulted in a site that is greatly appreciated for its usefulness and aesthetics.
- 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 Park City’s web portal?
I believe government will become even more accessible and efficient in the next few years; and now Park City’s website is capable of leveraging new technologies as they emerge. For example, we are working on some very exciting features and services that include mobile web applications.
- What else that you would like to tell us about ParkCity.org?
Park City is an amazing place—full of diverse people, activities, and food. Now our website truly shows what Park City has to offer, not just to the citizens, but to the world. Explore our website www.parkcity.org then come visit us... you won’t regret it!