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Re: Jersey City website redesign on tap
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Home away from home
 
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Candice - I completely agree that getting the word out for citizen input is a great idea - and critical in making the project work. Where the story kind of goes off the rails is in the last paragraph:
"Residents expect a website that is robust, informative, and user-friendly and where they can access a variety of city information and perform city business, like filing for permits or registering for sports," Mayor Steve Fulop said in a statement. "We agree and couldn't be more excited to move one step closer to the finish line and look forward not only to the public's feedback now, as we start the website redesign, but throughout the process." The story goes from performing a useful civic function to becoming another page in the endless, shameless book of Fulop self-promotion. You and I both know very well - better than almost anyone else - that the mayor targets an "accomplishment" a week; accomplishments measured by news stories and press releases. Granted, I'm cynical. But I'm rarely presented with evidence that makes me question my view. If the mayor ran an open and honest administration as touted and held himself accountable to the media to answer the tough questions rather than just prairie dog up out of a hole whenever something positive occurs - no matter how small or how little his involvement - then his self-promotion wouldn't seem so odious. The city is lucky to be able to benefit from your expertise on this project.
Posted on: 2016/6/7 20:49
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Re: Jersey City website redesign on tap
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Home away from home
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One thing not mentioned is putting the property tax records online. When I was in my tax appeal hearing last year the city representative scorned me for thinking that the county records that ARE available online were accurate. "Why would you think that? You live in Jersey City." Why would I think that there was a discrepancy to begin with!! My tax card comes from the county, so the only way to check would be going to city hall. That's disgraceful in this "information age".
Posted on: 2016/6/7 20:35
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Re: Jersey City website redesign on tap
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Just can't stay away
 
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Here is why I asked for it. I wanted to get that link that was in the article out as broadly as possible so that we can get feedback from every day residents versus power user types. When I moved here to find out about Little league you had to ask someone. That type of thing is really not acceptable to me. And while the link will go in my newsletter later this month, again by definition those are people who are know who I am and who have interacted with me before, which already puts them into a category of more informed on Jersey City government. It was critical to do while the vendor's analysis work begins so that it is a source of input. Otherwise the entire user experience will be created based on us looking "in" instead of us looking "out" to the customers. I've seen tech projects time and time again not solicit user input and they are never as good as the ones where the user was at the center of the process. There will be lots of steps with users along the way to ensure we get it right. It isn't about press, it is about making sure we don't end up with a website that while pretty is just as useless as the one we have now.
Posted on: 2016/6/7 20:21
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Re: Jersey City website redesign on tap
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Home away from home
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On a budget of $553 million, the city spends $1.5 million every day. $150,000 doesn't really seem all that newsworthy to me, but you are the reporter!
Posted on: 2016/6/7 20:06
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Re: Jersey City website redesign on tap
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There wasn't a press release. Councilwoman Osborne reached out asking for us to spread the word about the online survey. And I think the $$$ being spent is enough of a reason to write about it even though the resdesign isn't done yet.
Posted on: 2016/6/7 19:22
Edited by terrencemcd on 2016/6/7 19:50:24
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Re: Jersey City website redesign on tap
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Home away from home
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All the city's debt should be listed on a new website.
Posted on: 2016/6/7 18:47
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Home away from home
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Nope. Permits and fine paying are very small potatoes compared to safety, infrastructure, responsible budgeting, "Open, Honest Government" - you know, the fundamental things that people in the first world take for granted when it comes to their local government.
As I said, the new website is needed and sure, there will likely be better functionality, some increased capabilities and better aesthetics related to the experience. But I'll stick to my initial assessment: it's a mural on an abandoned building - an opportunity for a press release and a guaranteed newspaper story by the paper who mistakes those press releases as news. Nothing has even been delivered yet and it's a news story.
Posted on: 2016/6/7 18:16
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Re: Jersey City website redesign on tap
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Home away from home
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While I can agree with the sentiments of frustration, I think you are too quick to dismiss the (likely) possibility that an improved website for the city could help address some of the very things about which you are complaining. Providing clear information is an important government function and that could be addressed by an improved website that disseminates the information being sought. Some basic services could be vastly improved via a website (paying for city fines, requesting parking permits, etc.)
Posted on: 2016/6/7 17:30
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Re: Jersey City website redesign on tap
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The kind of stuff that while it isn't necessarily going to generate press releases is desperately needed? Yes. Yes. And yes.
Posted on: 2016/6/7 14:44
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Re: Jersey City website redesign on tap
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Home away from home
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Nice that the website will be modernized, but it seems like another mural. Rather than focus on the basic blocking and tackling of improving how the government works you are giving us nicer fonts and cool interactive features. We need improved services, better responsiveness, accountability, transparency and (to Dan's point) an easier entryway for citizen involvement. What difference does it make if it's easier for me to click on link to get to something when where I'm ending up is useless or dysfunctional?
So yes, great - new website. Necessary and all, but man - can we focus on improving the day to day basics of government? The kind of stuff that while it isn't necessarily going to generate press releases is desperately needed?
Posted on: 2016/6/7 13:50
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Re: Jersey City website redesign on tap
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A survey for citizen input was in the JJ piece. http://innovatejerseycity.org/website-redevelopment-survey/
Posted on: 2016/6/7 3:09
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Re: Jersey City website redesign on tap
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Home away from home
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this one is really good - https://www.cabq.gov/
and we have been waiting almost 7 years for Jersey City to implement this requirement (by law), hopefully, the city will include - http://www.njslom.org/ml111309-citizens-service.html
Posted on: 2016/6/7 3:08
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Re: Jersey City website redesign on tap
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Home away from home
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The cost is really 150K, and then on going maintenance of ~25K / year. That's actually pretty low. In fact, it might be too low. Depending on the man/hour cost, that works out to about 2 hours per week per year for a high end firm. Hopefully the budget will allow for a good design and implementation.
Posted on: 2016/6/7 3:02
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Re: Jersey City website redesign on tap
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Redesigned by an intern, and it shows. Is it nice? Yes. Clean? Not really. Leave the job to a pro. Glad to see the city has contracted an outside firm with experience doing that kind of work.
Posted on: 2016/6/7 2:58
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Re: Jersey City website redesign on tap
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$250K for a website over 5 years??? Apparently it won't be hosted by JC. Curious how they will get citizen input. It would be nice to go online and purchase guest parking permits 7x24 that you can print from home.
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Posted on: 2016/6/7 2:50
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Re: Jersey City website redesign on tap
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CivicLive is being paid $150,00 for the first year of its five-year contract and $26,000 annually for each of the four remaining years, for a total cost of $254,000.
Posted on: 2016/6/7 1:04
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Re: Jersey City website redesign on tap
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JJ comment Quote:
A Jersey City Youth Jobs Program summer intern redesigned the JCTV web site last summer while in the program for the month of July. It just wasn?t updated with current meeting information yet.
Posted on: 2016/6/7 0:34
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Jersey City website redesign on tap
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Home away from home
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Jersey City website redesign on tap
By Terrence T. McDonald | The Jersey Journal on June 06, 2016 at 5:39 PM JERSEY CITY ? The city is moving ahead with the first major redesign of its website since 2007 and officials want your input. The redesign is in its initial stages, with CivicLive, the company hired in March to oversee the work, working with each city department and seeking feedback from the public via an online survey. Ward E Councilwoman Candice Osborne is one of a number of city officials involved In the process, which includes workers from the mayor's office, communications and innovation teams and more. http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... p.html#incart_river_index
Posted on: 2016/6/7 0:14
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