OSWEGO, NY – Oswego County government began the process of launching its
new website today. More than a year in development, the new site will offer better access to government services and give departments more flexibility in providing information to users.
The site uses the same address as the original Oswego County government site,
www.oswegocounty.com.
The county Legislature approved a contract with Revize, a Michigan-based software development firm that specializes in developing government sites, in 2018.
“One of our goals was to develop a user-friendly site that allows our non-technical people to efficiently update their own content,” said David Turner, director of the Oswego County Department of Community Development, Tourism and Planning. “We approached the new site as a ‘web solution,’ rather than simply a website.” He added, “The new site will allow customers to make payments online, use an improved interactive map and a universal calendar that posts public meetings and events across the county.”
The website development team included representatives from several county
departments. David Owens, marketing and design specialist for the Oswego County Tourism and Public Information Office, was the project leader. Each department was responsible for creating and updating their own section.
“The new site offers a robust set of features that will adapt with technology,” said Owens.
“Users will be able to access ‘e-services’ such as a payment portal, stay up-to-date on topics that they would like to receive notifications on and access important documents. The site also has a responsive design, meaning the appearance of the content will adjust depending what device is being used to view the site.”
Owens said the project was a team effort and is a good example of inter-departmental cooperation. He credited the website core team for its input and work developing pages and features of the site.
“For most of the team, this was their first experience in building a website,” said Owens. “We appreciate the support of the department heads, the county Legislature, and the many hours of time that the website team contributed to the new site.”
Oswego County Administrator Phil Church said maintaining the site will be an ongoing process.
“The new website will never be ‘finished.’ We will be constantly adjusting to provide a more cohesive online experience,” he said. “The site now meets ADA requirements and gives citizens access to important documents and services online. It’s more colorful and pleasing to the eye and replaces an outdated coding process that was inefficient and time-consuming.
“It will take a few weeks for the site to be fully integrated and for us to work out any
glitches in the migration of the old site,” he added. “We encourage citizens to explore the new site and check back for new features in the months to come.”
There may be several hours of down time for the county government website while the new site is loading.
