MMA presents municipal website awards

Boston, Concord, Weston and Windsor were announced as winners of the MMA’s fifth annual municipal website awards during the MMA Annual Meeting & Trade Show on Jan. 21.
 
The awards recognize excellence in customer service, functionality, convenience and government transparency delivered by a municipal website. Awards are given in four population categories.
 
Boston was the winner among communities with a population above 50,000.
 
Concord won in the category for populations between 15,000 and 50,000.
 
Weston won in the 5,000-15,000 category.
 
And Windsor was the winner among towns with a population under 5,000.
 
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
• 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 Jerrard Whitten, GIS/IT manager for the Merrimack Valley Planning Commission, and Joshua Ostroff, partnerships director at Transportation for Massachusetts and a former Natick selectman.