City staff demonstrated a redesigned Freeport municipal website at the Oct. 1 council meeting and said the site would go live within 48 hours.

The presentation, given by Toby Cohen (web lead) with comments from city staff, highlighted several changes: improved mobile responsiveness; an accessibility widget to change contrast and text size and to provide dyslexia-friendly options; a prominent "How do I" search tool designed to surface services such as paying a water bill or applying for a permit; department pages with contact directories; an integrated agenda center linking to current and legacy council meeting materials; and rotating banner images for a fresh homepage look. Cohen said the site was built by a vendor specializing in government sites and that staff have conducted ADA compliance checks.

Why it matters: Staff said the redesign should reduce calls and make it easier for residents and businesses to find services online. Council members praised the look and encouraged further testing on tablets and mobile devices.

Next steps: Staff said the site would go live in about 48 hours, with further testing and department content updates ongoing; council members were given a preview during the meeting.