A completely new municipal website (https://www.hawkesbury.ca/en) is on the way for the Town of Hawkesbury.
Communications Coordinator Stéphanie Simard presented plans for the new website to council on Monday, January 29.
According to a report prepared by Simard, problems have been identified with the current website for several years. Those include a decrease in website usage by residents and a consequent increase in calls to the administration, a complex and unintuitive user experience, an aging and inefficient interface with update difficulties, the design is not aligned with the town’s visual identity established in 2019, it requires complicated administrative management and long response times, it does not comply with provincial accessibility laws, and it lacks RSS integration with the computer systems used by the town.
Simard explained that in 2023, the administration initiated a process of tendering and identifying the challenges faced by the site. However, due to multiple obstacles, the process experienced delays before it resumed. The Communications Department began a request for tender in which three companies that met the town’s needs were invited to submit quotes. During the selection process, a series of criteria were considered. They included the ability of a company to meet legal accessibility requirements, expertise in implementing municipal websites, demonstrate an ability to adapt to the town’s needs, and be able to support the process of production, integration, training, and technical services accessible in French.
Globalia/Biciti of St-Lambert was selected to provide the website development service for Hawkesbury. Simard explained that each municipal department head has been consulted about specific needs for each area of municipal services. Plans are being made to ensure photos and documents are available on the new website. Development of the new website will begin at the end of February.
The Globalia/Biciti bid was below the $50,000 that had been allocated for the new website in the 2024 municipal budget. Councillor Yves Paquette asked how much the bid was worth and Simard said it was $30,000.
Councillor Jeanne Charlebois asked where the other companies which submitted bids are from. Simard said the two other bids were from companies in Montréal and Toronto.
“I looked at the company’s website and was very impressed,” commented Mayor Robert Lefebvre. He expressed appreciation that a new municipal web platform for residents is being developed.
