City of Bismarck Set to Unveil Website Reface on May 8

The City of Bismarck website will receive a new look on May 8.

The revamped website will feature a clean layout and simplified navigation to help citizens find information about city departments and services, the various departmental staff who help provide these services, as well as upcoming events and public meetings. This new version of the City of Bismarck's website replaces a version that has existed since 2016.

"From a communicator's perspective, there is probably no better tool to share information about the City of Bismarck, than its website," said City of Bismarck Communications Strategist Kalen Ost. "The website is available 24/7/365 with information and is one of those critical tools that create transparency for our citizens."

The URL of the revamped website, www.bismarcknd.gov, will not be changing. However, homepage features will create easier pathways for people to dig into site content. The City of Bismarck is continuing its relationship with CivicPlus for the website, which has served as the content management system for Bismarck's municipal government since 2016.

"We hope that the refreshed website accomplishes three primary goals," said Ost. "First, this refresh will provide a cleaner look that makes for a more consistent experience across all devices. Second, we have worked with departments to take a hard look at content, how it is arranged, and if there are ways to make that content easier to consume. And finally, we are going to be purposefully meeting with departments regularly moving forward to make sure there is ongoing attention to keep content current."

One feature of the website, the Agenda Center, which houses meeting information for the City Commission and all of the City's advisory boards and committees, has also received significant changes to how it is administered, to go with a new public-facing look. Meeting agendas, minutes and applicable video links going back 3 years will continue to be available through this section of the website. An archive section will serve as the holding area for older meeting information.

The website reface will begin at 1 PM on May 8 and conclude at 3:30 PM. Anyone utilizing the website during this time may experience an inconsistent user experience.

"With websites, the work is never really done. Once the reface is live, we have some page content that needs to be created and updated that will hopefully make the consumer's experience with the website better," said Ost. "We are also now on a schedule, so our website won't go for nearly a decade without receiving any significant updates."

City officials encourage anyone exploring the site to help improve its functionality and usability. A form to report a concern to any City department is available online.

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