Town hears CivicPlus pitch to upgrade website, add AudioEye accessibility tools

John Pugh, account manager for CivicPlus, showed the Select Board examples of the vendor’s Central website platform and an accessibility product called AudioEye at the board’s Jan. 22 meeting.

Pugh said Central is “Civic Plus’s flagship website platform,” built to meet WCAG accessibility standards and to improve mobile responsiveness, search, news and calendar features. He demonstrated language-selection tools and the AudioEye toolbar on sample municipal sites and described AudioEye as a tool that “is automatically fixing content and pictures for you so the staff doesn’t have to.”

The presentation outlined two purchasing options: a full website redesign to CivicPlus Central with AudioEye included and a lower-cost path to add AudioEye to the town’s existing site. Pugh provided a statement of work showing a first-year total “initial term” price just under $25,000 (listed as $24,281) for a Central redesign, which the vendor said would be billed as 30% up front and 70% at mid-project. He said the typical timeline from signature to go‑live is about six months. He also said the company was offering AudioEye for free in year one as a promotion and that year-two pricing would apply after that trial.

Select Board member Holly Stone and other board members asked practical questions about language translation, calendar functionality, and whether AudioEye would work on the town’s current site while a redesign is underway. Pugh said language switching is part of the Central upgrade and that AudioEye could be added to the existing site immediately if the town chose that route. Stone noted the board might pursue the AudioEye-only option during budget deliberations for FY 2026 and mentioned grant possibilities for a site redesign later.

Board members also raised the budget context: Stone and others called the $2,510 AudioEye option and the $24,281 full redesign “options” to discuss during the town’s upcoming budget process. Pugh said the company runs promotions and that he would follow up with the board and with Holly about whether CivicPlus would attend the Massachusetts Municipal Association conference next week.

Why it matters: The town’s website is the primary way many residents get municipal updates, agendas and emergency notices; board members said improved findability and stronger ADA compliance are priorities. The board did not make any purchase decisions at the meeting but asked staff to keep the proposal in mind for the budget process and to share detailed pricing and the statement of work for further review.

Next steps: The vendor will supply the board with the formal quote and scope documents. The Select Board said it will consider AudioEye and/or a full redesign during the FY 2026 budget process and may seek grant opportunities for a future full redesign.