The City of Ripon is due to have its website updated.

The online site – www.cityofripon.org – was created in 1998 by staff and updated in 2015 by an outside contractor.

The website has since evolved into a “virtual city hall,” according to Deputy City Clerk Jane Kilgore in her report at Dec. 13 Ripon City Council meeting, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic when more and more of locals being forced to conduct business electronically online – prior to that, 28 percent of all website traffic as conducted using a mobile device.

As of this past August, those numbers increased to 59 percent.

Staff indicated that the proposed updated website could provide more intuitive and user-friendly options for residents and businesses to pay utility bills online, reserve rental facilities, sign up for recreation activities and apply for building permits.

And that’s just for starters.

The City, in turn, could use the updated website as the primary direct source of communications with the community.

Staff recently interviewed three outside contractors for the job, recommending CivicPlus: CivicEngage and CivicOtimize to handle the website update composed of two modules.

Elected leaders approved the recommendation with no discussion necessary at their December monthly session.

Cost is not to exceed $136,652 via the General Fund to be paid over a five-year period.