Agenda Item Wording:
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New City Website Update - First look at website and details on launch. This item is scheduled for the Work Session; if not completed, it may be continued during the Regular Session portion of this meeting.
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Agenda Date: 03/16/2026
Prepared by: Allison M. Mackey, Communications and Brand Manager, 559-713-4535 allison.mackey@visalia.gov, Shonna Oneal, Administrative Services Director, 559-713-4053 shonna.oneal@visalia.gov.
Department Recommendation: It is recommended that the Visalia City Council receive a presentation on the City's new website.
Summary:
In August of 2025, the City initiated a comprehensive redesign of its municipal website to modernize digital services, improve accessibility, and enhance the overall user experience for residents, businesses, and visitors. The website redesign project is now complete and is scheduled to officially launch on March 17, 2026.
Background Discussion:
The City's current website was launched in 2015 and has since become outdated and increasingly inadequate for meeting current standards. Notably, it lacked optimization for mobile devices, presented difficulties in submitting service requests, and did not comply with upcoming accessibility regulations. For these reasons, modernizing the City's website was both a strategic priority and a regulatory necessity.
At the direction of Council, City staff worked with the vendor CivicPlus to modernize the City's digital presence, enhance access to services, add security features, and foster greater civic engagement with a completely new website.
Goals and Objectives
At the Visalia City Council's 2025 Workshop, the Council's Strategic Priorities and Goals were set. Three specific sections of the document have items that are connected to the website process underway. These are 1) Growth and Infrastructure 2) Quality of Life and 3) Governance. At the top of this list is the Governance Year One Objective "Select a new website system and begin ...
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