News Release | City of Rockport Launches New Website

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On Thursday, January 31st at approximately 9:30am, the City of Rockport’s new website will replace its predecessor, which was launched almost six years ago. Once again, the City called upon the services of CivicPlus®, an innovative leader in content management systems for local government.

According to City Manager Kevin Carruth, Rockport negotiated for a free redesign when it contracted with Civic Plus to upgrade its previous site more than five years ago. The term was within four years, but the deadline was graciously extended by CivicPlus because of Hurricane Harvey. “We actually had a pre-development meeting scheduled for September 5, 2017,” Carruth noted. “The delay enabled us to really sink our teeth into the project by reviewing analytics, identifying special needs, and developing a site that better addressed the interests of our residents.”

The state-of-the-art site employs the latest technology, making it more user- and mobile friendly, and utilizes Web Content Accessibility Guidelines for ADA compliance. These guidelines include visual presentation, keyboard interface, contrast ratio, scrolling, format consistency and color-safe fonts. Additionally, the site provides operational computability with a computer screen scanner.

As with its previous version, the City is showcasing the talent of a local photographer – Christopher Rice – whose work is featured on the home page’s masthead and stand-alone modules.

It also incorporates citizen engagement modules for notification of meetings, job postings and bids; financial transparency; community calendar; problem resolution; informational stories ranging from personal safety to floodplain management; and an entire section devoted to Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts and assistance programs.

“To minimize confusion for previous users, we kept the same headings as before, but added additional content,” Carruth stated. “This is just a small part of our ongoing commitment to transparency in government, keeping our residents informed and promoting interactive communication.”

NOTE TO EDITOR: If you wish to examine the site prior to launch, you may view the production model at https://tx-rockport3.civicplus.com/.