Geeky Wednesday: Rating websites

The beauty of having my own blog is every so often I write something that has little interest outside of the space between my ears.

I always thought it would be fun to review the local government websites and grade them on a list of random criteria.

Sunshine Week provides that opportunity.

So, how does one go about grading websites? Easy! He does it during the County Commission meeting instead of listening to budget talk.

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Now, this is all very subjective. I mean…it’s my rating system. It’s just my observations on websites and whether they provide the help folks are looking for.

I looked at the County Commission, School Board, and both cities of Crystal River and Inverness. It’s a snapshot — Tuesday. Websites are fluid by their nature, so it’s likely some of these observations will change. I say that so my friends in local governments realize I’m not picking on anyone.

CITRUS COUNTY

—  Overview: It’s OK. Frankly, not too exciting. Has a government feel to it, which can also make is straight-forward functional.

— Highs: Once on the drop-down menu, I can find anything. All the important documents, such as budgets, growth-management reports, and Strategic Plans are easily located. Contact names and emails for all division/department heads are available. Quick links to board agendas, minutes, and videos.

— Challenges: Great stuff inside, but no way to know it because the homepage is so lacking. For example, the county has a FAQ page for Inverness Villages 4. Very helpful! If I didn’t know it was there…I wouldn’t know it’s there. Same thing with the Strategic Planning dashboard — awesome information, but it’s somewhat buried with everything else. The county has a YouTube channel for video meetings, but I don’t see it mentioned on the website anywhere.

— What I find most important: The public records process should be easy, and this one is. The link is on the home page.

— JWC grade: The county’s website is OK, not great, and not terrible. I’m convinced a year from now it’s going to be much, much better. Today it’s a B-.

SCHOOL BOARD

— Overview: First off, you’d hope that school people would have the most imaginative and helpful website, right? Well, Citrus County Schools come through in all phases. The website is jammed with helpful information for kids, parents, teachers, and government eavesdroppers like me. And it looks fantastic.

— Highs: Just about everything. It’s just so easy. Public records? No problem. Agendas/minutes? Right there. Lunch menus? A click away. And videos. On the homepage I counted at least 17 points of entry. If I’m a newcomer to Citrus County, the district website has everything I could possibly want to know.

— Challenges: Well, it is a lot. It can get a little intimidating. That’s a good problem to have.

— What I find most important: A government website should be inviting. This site reflects so much the values bestowed over the years by Superintendent Sandra “Sam” Himmel on down. 

JWC grade: The school district is setting the example of how to have a website that’s a fit for our community. Not perfect, but an A-.

CRYSTAL RIVER

— Overview: Very pleasant website that’s easy to navigate. It plays up Three Sisters Springs information and has all the important links up front. 

— Highs: Easy to find the important documents; same for agendas/minutes, and links to videos of meetings.

— Challenges: I couldn’t find the city’s citizen-driven strategic plan. No mention on the home page. That was a little disappointing. Also, no public records process other than to contact the city clerk.

— What I find most important: Websites should be thorough, and Crystal River’s has whatever I need. (Though truthfully, Mayor Joe Meek’s Facebook posts are the most informative social media in Crystal River.)

— JWC grade: Crystal River’s website provides what you’d expect from a small town. It keeps citizens engaged in an easy setting. That’s a solid B+.

INVERNESS

— Overview: The page is pleasant but bulky in a heavy government sort of way. The homepage doesn’t seem to have any rhyme or balance. Of the four, it’s the least inviting.

— Highs: Inverness has always been parks-driven, and the website reflects that. The website provides plenty of ways for folks to get involved in the growing number of community events. It’s also easy to find important documents, such as the city budget.

— Challenges: Well, no easy way to say this. Inverness does a poor job of providing online access to its government. There’s an agenda for the upcoming council meeting, but that’s it. No minutes. No past agendas. No videos. No public records process. Impossible to research past votes or deliberations.

— What I find most important: Agenda/minutes and current/past videos of council meetings should be paramount to any local government website.

— JWC grade: I read in the paper that the city is installing some new agenda service, so I sure look forward to that. As of today, though, this website is a C-.

That's it from Geek Central. Happy surfing, friends.

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