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Berkeley unveils new BerkeleyMI.gov site and moves city content to .gov domain
Summary
City staff launched a redesigned municipal website on a .gov domain aimed at making services and permits easier to find; Director Flora walked council through new features and asked residents to report issues via a feedback form.
The City of Berkeley on March 3 formally introduced a redesigned website, BerkeleyMI.gov, intended to make city services and information easier to find and to provide residents with a trusted, government‑controlled domain.
Director Flora told the council the site’s “number 1 goal” is to help residents find information and complete tasks online. The new site lets residents apply for many permits, verify water service line material, sign up for e‑news and access department pages directly, Flora said.
Flora explained the city moved to a .gov domain to help users identify official sources. “Only government can register for a .gov domain,” she said, adding that the switch provides “an extra layer of trust and security” for transactions such as paying bills.
Councilmembers praised the work. Mayor Dean noted the city had been without a communications director for six months and thanked Flora for completing the project largely as a single‑person department: “You are a department of 1,” Dean said. Multiple councilmembers complimented the refreshed branding, easier navigation and the addition of a direct link to the library page after launch.
Flora acknowledged that there will be ongoing refinements. She asked residents to report problems using a feedback form located at the top and bottom of every page and said departments will supply updates on a monthly basis during the initial rollout, moving to bimonthly or quarterly thereafter.
The council also viewed a promotional video demonstrating common tasks — paying bills, applying for permits and viewing events — and was told the redesign pairs the city seal (for formal documents) with a new logo for promotional use.
The website launch accompanies other communications work the city is undertaking; Flora provided an email contact for further issues and thanked council and staff for input during testing.
Councilmembers said they expect the site to complement social media and other communication channels and urged residents to use the feedback form to report problems during the rollout period.
