Cape council approves agreement for new website

Steps taken Monday by the Cape Girardeau City Council allow the city to begin putting its "best technology foot forward," according to city staff.

The council approved a resolution to enter into an agreement with Reliance Communications LLC for the design, management and support of a new website.

Leading up to the agreement have been several months of work by the city to determine how the website should be improved and how it could expand online services.

"I have seen so much growth in technology in this city in the last few years," said public information manager Nicolette Brennan. "I am so excited to be part of this project."

A new or updated city website has been among the items listed in the Capital Improvements Program since 2013. The existing website was launched in the summer of 2011, said Brennan, and was soon followed by a "rapid growth" in websites that were more compatible with mobile devices. Improved organization and a more mobile-friendly platform are among the key components of the new site.

Reliance was chosen by a core content managers group consisting of employees from city hall and the fire, police, parks and recreation and public works departments. The group vetted eight vendor products submitted as part of a request for proposals, selecting five finalists. Reliance was chosen after the finalists presented portfolios and services to the group and provided an opportunity to try out the software in a test environment.

Taking on the task of updating the city's website is no small challenge, Brennan said. The site is large and complex, divided across multiple departments.

"It's big in the sense that there are 1,200 active files, pages and images that are reviewed by about 800 or so people every day," she said.

The one-year cost for the website and related services will be approximately $45,000, with annual maintenance and support priced at about $7,000. The city's innovation fund and operating budget are identified as funding sources for the project in the most recent Capital Improvements Program.

Unanimous approval to enter into an agreement with Reliance was given by the council, minus the votes of absent members Wayne Bowen and Joe Uzoaru.

"I think it's an exciting move," Councilman Mark Lanzotti said. "It certainly may at first blush sound like a lot of money, but it's a lot of site."

Once the city manager signs a contract with Reliance, the city's web team will begin working with the new vendor-partner to deliver the site by June 30.

Other business

The council also agreed to enter into a second supplemental design services agreement with Koehler Engineering for the Independence Street and Gordonville Road intersection. The second agreement is necessary because of the tight schedule figured in the first agreement, which included no time for delays.

The revised milestones -- which now call for the project to go up for bid in March -- do not affect costs or services to be provided under the previous agreement. The cost of the intersection design is a not-to-exceed amount of $57,855.44. It qualifies for 80 percent reimbursement under the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission STP-Urban Program Agreement. The remaining 20 percent will come from Transportation Trust Fund 4 revenue.

srinehart@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3641

Pertinent address:

401 Independence St., Cape Girardeau, Mo

Independence Street and Gordonville Road, Cape Girardeau, Mo.