East Hampton Town Website Gets Overhaul
East Hampton Town has launched a new website that town staffers said at a town board meeting on Tuesday is more interactive, user-friendly, and comprehensive than the previous site, which had not been upgraded in six years.
With the same web address, ehamptonny.gov — though users might need to clear computer caches to eliminate access to the old site — the new website allows users to sign up for emergency alerts and notifications of all kinds, through email or text message, and view postings about events, newsletters, agendas for various board or government meetings, or town code changes.
Various town departments have pages that will provide information, a list of frequently asked questions, and links to other pertinent web pages.
Information will be posted on the site in easily accessible sections addressing town boards and commissions, the town code, town projects, town publications, LTV (the local public-access TV station), and more.
Forms and permit applications, some of which can be filled out and submitted online, will be accessible through the website as well, and online payments for things such as traffic or parking tickets can be made. Online tax payments will be possible for a portion of the year, from Dec. 15 to May 31.
The website also provides a full listing of staff in the various departments, and their email addresses.
A “Doing Business” section provides bid notices, a calendar of events of interest to business owners, state and county-based information about starting a business, and links to applicable pages for the planning board, Building Department, and so on.
In the “Community” section are pages regarding human services, employment opportunities, parks and other facilities, schools, libraries, and the like.
A “Services” section pulls together links for residents to learn more about services provided by the town, from the recycling center to housing and transportation programs.
The new site, which features photographs by various contributors of areas of the town, is “one heck of a great change,” Bob Pease of the Information Technology Department told the town board on Tuesday.
“It was a huge effort to pull all this information together,” Supervisor Larry Cantwell said.
The website, for which the town contracted with a firm called Civic Plus for $72,624, has been under development since January.
Mr. Cantwell thanked the group that worked on the project, which included Mr. Pease, Councilwoman Kathee Burke-Gonzalez, and Charlene Kagel and Nicole Ficeto of the town’s Finance Department.