MMA presents municipal website awards

Ashfield, Concord and Littleton were announced as winners of the MMA’s seventh annual municipal website awards during the MMA Annual Meeting & Trade Show on Jan. 19.

The awards recognize excellence in customer service, functionality, convenience and government transparency delivered by a municipal website. Awards are given in four population categories.

Concord won in the category for populations between 15,000 and 50,000.

Littleton won in the 5,000-15,000 category.

And Ashfield was the winner among towns with a population under 5,000.

The MMA did not receive any nominations this year in the category for cities and towns with populations over 50,000.

Judges evaluated municipal websites from across Massachusetts based on the following criteria:
• Clear branding as the official municipal site
• Intuitive navigation tools and organization of material
• Robust search function
• Timely information
• Availability of public records
• Mobile-friendly or mobile-responsive design
• Interactive resources for residents, such as ability to apply for licenses and permits, pay bills, order documents and offer suggestions
• Tools to promote economic development
• Information about departments
• Use of social media and tools for community engagement
• Visual appeal and overall experience

This year’s contest judges were Carl Valente, a former town manager in Lexington, and Richard Reed, a former town manager in Bedford and former member of the MMA Policy Committee on Public Works, Transportation and Public Utilities.