The City of Burnaby launched its new website on Wednesday.
The site was overhauled to make it more accessible for users, according to a press release from the city.
"Burnaby city council is committed to maximizing your access to city information and our ability to hear from you," said Mayor Derek Corrigan in the release. "This new website is an important tool - a gateway to city services that provides exciting new opportunities for citizen interaction, information and involvement."
The launch of the site is just the first step, he added, saying he hopes it leads to more feedback and dialogue with the community on the project.
Changes include functions being highlighted, instead of city departments.
One example of this is the "I want to..." function, which has six drop-down menus.
The six menu options are:
- "Register/reserve" where spots for city events and more can be reserved;
- "Pay/claim" for paying city costs such as taxes or claiming homeowner grants;
- "Find out about" which has information on topics from volunteering to appearing as a delegation at council;
- "Report" for reporting bylaw violations, environmental concerns, etc.;
- "Apply for" which covers job openings and other options, such as applying for permits and licenses;
- "Buy/rent" which covers everything from Shadbolt tickets to city housing.
There is also a comprehensive calendar of city events and an interactive leisure guide.
Integrated e-business services are also a big part of the concept, according to the release.
Pat Tennant, the project sponsor, told the NOW last October that the website project would not be a static, one-time upgrade.
"The nature of services is always evolving," she said. "The site will continue to evolve over the years."
The city's website first launched in 1998, and was enhanced in 2003. The city launched a new home page in June 2009.
The city's internal Systems Applications and Products - also known as SAP - portal went live in 2007, and won the Portal of the Year Award from the Americas' SAP Users' Group for its SAP software last summer.
Upgrades to the portal were included in the project.
The project steering committee includes many city staff members: Gisele Caron, purchasing manager; Dave Ellenwood, director of parks, recreation and culture; Doug Louie, assistant director of engineering; Doug McDonald, deputy fire chief; Kim Munro, director of human resources; Edel Toner-Rogala, chief librarian; and Chad Turpin, deputy city manager.
City council approved $980,000 in funding for the project last October.
The website is at www.burnaby.ca.
