City staff presented two competing website proposals during the meeting, asking the council to review functionality, costs and options for phased implementation. The proposals were CivicPlus (described by staff as a lower-cost, modular platform) and Granicus (a higher-priced, more fully bundled build).

The presentation said CivicPlus quoted a one-time standard implementation fee of $850 and an annual subscription of $4,664 for a standard site, with optional add‑ons for services such as mass notification and utilities billing. Granicus’s web-enhanced package was described in the proposals as a roughly $27,000 implementation for an 8-week rollout, with a smaller package reportedly available but not yet priced for the city’s needs. “There is a drastic difference between the two companies,” the staff presenter said when summarizing the proposals.

Why it matters: council members expressed interest in online payments, reservation and permitting features to reduce staff time on routine transactions, and in ADA compliance and security. Multiple council members noted that a modular approach could let the city start with basic information and add billing, permitting or field reservations later as demand and capacity grow.

Details: presenters said both vendors provide low/no‑code interfaces so clerks or staff can make content updates in‑house, and both offer hosting and optional IT support. CivicPlus currently includes support for a code/ordinance module (Municode) that the city has already purchased, meaning some functionality would not incur an additional fee. Granicus was presented as offering similar capabilities but at a substantially higher price point. Staff said they had had several meetings with each company and would follow up with more specific comparisons and the remaining pricing for integrations (for example, utilities billing and mass notifications).

Council reaction and next steps: some council members asked staff to solicit one or two additional local vendors for comparison and to confirm which services (billing, permitting, scheduling, mass notification) would require extra licensing. A council member asked that proposals demonstrate how job postings and social‑media feeds would integrate with the new site. Staff agreed to return with additional pricing, any alternative vendors that qualify, and clarified integration information.

No formal procurement decision or vote was taken at the meeting. Staff said more vendor details would be provided to the council prior to a decision so members would have time to review the proposals.