COUNCIL COMMUNICATION
TO: Honorable Mayor and Council
FROM: Jerri Bracamonte, Community Engagement Officer
SUBJECT:Title
Discussion and Action: Statement of Work, Master Services Agreement and Addendum with CivicPlus for a Comprehensive Website Design and Content Managing System (Jerri Bracamonte)
Body
FUNDING SOURCE:
General Fund
PURPOSE:
To consider approving a Statement of Work, Master Services Agreement and Addendum (Contract #500613) to migrate the Lake Havasu City website and content management system from the internally hosted SiteFinity platform to an externally hosted solution provided by CivicPlus in accordance with City Code § 3.10.010.3(A)(16).
BACKGROUND:
Key findings from the 2023 Citizen Survey produced favorable results for the City’s services and reputation. However, the need to enhance community engagement was prevalent. To address the citizens’ concerns, the City Manager’s Office aims to improve community outreach through the Community Affairs Division, including a redesign of the City’s website.
To advance improvements to the website, staff explored updates with various website vendors to improve the look and functionality of the City’s website. Based on the system's features, staff recommends CivicPlus’s proposal to best meet the needs of the City.
Lake Havasu City currently manages its website through SiteFinity, a platform hosted and maintained by internal City staff. While functional, this system presents several challenges and inefficiencies. To streamline updates, enhance ADA compliance, and allow for future scalability, the City would like to enter an agreement with CivicPlus as a replacement solution. CivicPlus offers a cloud-based, fully managed system tailored to government entities.
CivicPlus offers external hosting, ensuring the website remains operational and services are accessible regardless of local conditions.
Currently, the SiteFinity platform requires ongoing updates, which are time-consuming. Software and hardware updates, including security patches and feature enhancements, are fully managed by CivicPlus, reducing the workload and ensuring the website remains secure and up-to-date.
CivicOptimize, included with the requested CivicPlus package, provides opportunities for future growth and integration with existing internal City services, offering expanded functionality and a more efficient citizen experience.
The City's website must remain compliant with new ADA requirements set to take effect in 2026. CivicPlus includes Monsido, a tool that helps ensure ongoing ADA compliance by regularly scanning for accessibility issues and providing options for correction.
CivicPlus includes a built-in redesign every 48 months as part of the annual cost. This ensures that the City’s website maintains a fresh, modern look without additional expenses, adapting to evolving citizen needs and design trends.
CivicPlus improves communications with citizens through its CivicSend feature. Citizens can subscribe to specific content on the website and receive email or text notifications when requested pages are updated, improving civic engagement and transparency.
CivicPlus handles all design work, allowing City staff to focus on content creation and updates. Therefore, this allowance for distributed content management enables individual City departments to manage some of their web content. CivicPlus includes the ability to build workflows and approval processes, which results in a more up-to-date website, as departments can make changes directly. This enables City departments to keep citizens informed and engaged more efficiently and effectively.
COMMUNITY IMPACT:
Migrating to CivicPlus enhances the City’s website by reducing staff workload, increasing citizen engagement, and ensuring compliance with future ADA regulations. This transition represents a significant upgrade in terms of functionality, accessibility, and user experience for both City staff and the public.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Year 1 is $40,000
Year 2 is $40,000
Year 3 is $27,500
Year 4 is $27,500
Funds for Year 1 are available and allocated in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024-25 budget in the City Manager’s Department, Community Affairs Division, within the General Fund. The following three years will be included in the future respective annual budgets. Implementation of the software will occur in FY 2024-25 and FY 2025-26, which accounts for the higher costs in the first two years.
ATTACHMENTS:
Master Services Agreement
Statement of Work
Master Services Agreement and Statement of Work Addendum
SUGGESTED MOTION:Recommended ACtion
I move to approve the Statement of Work, Master Services Agreement, and Addendum with CivicPlus for the City’s website design and content management system in the amount of $135,000 plus applicable sales tax over four years; authorize the City Manager to execute the required documents; and authorize City staff to exercise the option to renew.