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County communications director to review state’s free website option; current $40,000 contract and email considerations noted
Summary
Communications director Brent Wheat said he will meet with the state about its no‑cost website offering; he reported the county currently pays about $40,000 per year for website services and noted email systems are separate from web hosting and subject to different constraints.
Brent Wheat, Boone County communications director, told commissioners he is exploring an Indiana Office of Technology (IOT) program that offers low‑ or no‑cost website hosting for local governments and will meet with state staff to review costs and services.
Wheat said the county currently contracts with Government Utilities Technology Service (GUTS) for website management and the sheriff’s site; that contract costs about $40,000 per year and runs through Dec. 31, 2027. He emphasized that email and website services are distinct: county email runs on Microsoft Outlook and can be configured to accept additional domains; the state offering would not change the county’s email environment automatically.
Wheat said the state vendor (Tyler Technologies under the IOT arrangement) offers a limited set of front‑end templates and an “elite” package the state lists at roughly $500 per month per site, and that the county’s primary website exceeds the size and complexity of the free tier. He said GUTS plans to refresh the county site at no additional cost under the current contract and that he will report back after his meeting with state staff.
