SJC.Utah.gov 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 Trevor Morris, LAN / Web Development Specialist for South Jordan City.
- SJC.Utah.gov is a top-notch web portal; what has been your role in its development?
As the City’s web developer I am responsible for creating and maintaining the City’s website source code and also making changes to content, design and navigation when needed. I work with a team including Kelly Pfost and Melinda Nagai, who help monitor and control visual appeal, navigation, and appropriateness of content. Individual departments are responsible to update their own content. For the most recent version of the City’s website a private branding/marketing firm was hired to supply the design for the overall look and feel of the website.
- Can you summarize the history of South Jordan’s web portal?
South Jordan City decided in 2001 that it needed to have a better portal on the web for it's citizens to be able to have information and services available to them in an easy to use and convenient format. Since 2001 we have strived to add more and more e-government services and applications to better serve the community. We constantly reassess and if needed re-design our website, adding new services or technologies to benefit our citizens. The current visual design was implemented in June 2009.
- What are the overarching objectives of South Jordan’s current e-government initiatives?
The City of South Jordan strives to encourage initiative and innovation in e-government. Our goal is to provide citizens with information and access to the services they need through our website.
- From a marketing standpoint, what are some of the strategies that you have utilized to draw attention to the information and services provided by SJC.Utah.gov, both on- and off-line?
When the city sends out Twitter messages or advertising fliers, most often the website is the source listed for more information. We make a conscious effort to keep the information up-to-date so citizens will get in a habit of checking our website for information that is pertinent to them. Our 2009 Citizen Survey indicated that 48% of our residents had logged on to the South Jordan home page through the internet.
- How has citizen feedback influenced the development of South Jordan’s e-government services?
The City of South Jordan has a centralized call center which handles all incoming calls to the city. When they notice a large number of people are having difficulty finding information on our website, they notify us and we work to make the navigation easier. The Information Center will also notify us if citizens are consistently asking for a service to be available online and then we look into how feasible the suggestion would be to implement. We also rely on citizen surveys to give us information about our website. The 2009 Citizen Survey asked, “What would make the South Jordan City website more useful?” Answers included 41% None/Fine As Is, 30% Don’t Know, 15% Easier to Navigate, 6% Current Event/Activities (which we have added to the front page), and 5% Online Bill Pay (which is available under Online Services).
- What is the most-used feature or service on the site?
The most used feature is our online utility bill management system which enables our residents to view information about their latest bill and conveniently make payments online. Another popular feature is our "fix-it forum" which allows citizens to enter a request for help regarding a City service. From this portal you can enter any number of requests including filing a report about a code violation, notifying the city of a burnt out street light, or requesting information about a recreation program. The requests go directly to our Information Center which will manage the requests, respond back to the citizen, and if needed dispatch the request to an appropriate department for resolution.
- In what way has harnessing Twitter allowed you to connect more directly and personally with the citizens of South Jordan?
Twitter enables us to directly connect with our residents by allowing them to subscribe to information about City events or news. Instead of the citizens coming to us for information, we reach out to them by posting the latest news on twitter. Whenever we post a "tweet" on twitter, anyone that is a subscriber will be notified of an event or any news that we need the public to be aware of. Normally most people would only look at the City website if it occurred to them to do so. With twitter we can bring the information to them before they are even aware of the need. We currently have about 250 followers on Twitter, so this isn’t our most effective means of communication but it meets the needs of some residents.
- How have you tried to make it as easy as possible for citizens to find exactly the information they are looking for on your website?
One thing that we do is look for trends in the website's search feature. If there is an increase in searches for a particular topic, we work on ways to make that topic available, or make it more prevalent if it is already available. We also strive to have links to pertinent seasonal information directly on our home page. Another service that we have created is the ability to search an indexed database of frequently asked questions. A resident can type in any question and using "smart" free text queries we provide them with the best possible answer to their question with links to more information if it is available.
- 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 South Jordan’s web portal?
We are working to expand the scope of services provided online. For example, we are trying to make it easier for the public to sign up for recreation programs online and working to offer more programs in the online registration system. We are also examining the feasibility of allowing online reservation and rental of park pavilions.