Council approves new website contract with CivicPlus after debate over cost, local vendors

The Keizer City Council voted 6–1 March 3 to authorize the city manager to sign a personal services agreement with CivicPlus to replace the city website and integrate it with existing agenda-management and codification tools.

Staff said a multi-department review team evaluated vendor proposals and recommended CivicPlus for its product features and integration with the city’s existing agenda and code platforms. City staff said the total one-time implementation price negotiated with the vendor was $24,641.35; recurring platform fees will be higher than the city’s current annual website cost.

Councilor Cross registered a sole “no” vote, citing the jump from the city’s current annual web expense (said in discussion to be about $2,000) to the proposed recurring cost (discussed in the meeting as approximately $10,000 per year) and asked staff to explain whether local Oregon vendors had been considered. City staff said the civic‑government website market is specialized and that CivicPlus provides the agenda and codification integration the city sought; staff also said the vendor works with Oregon governments and that the agreement will be subject to annual renewal at the council’s discretion.

Council President Starr moved adoption of the resolution authorizing the city manager to enter into the CivicPlus agreement; the motion passed 6–1, with Councilor Cross voting no.

Why this matters: the website contract will move Keizer to a new integrated vendor platform for the website, agenda management and code codification. Staff said the agreement will improve interoperability between those systems and the value of the city’s digital public record, but it increases the city’s recurring technology costs.

What’s next: staff will execute the agreement and proceed with implementation. The contract contains renewal language and will come back to council if staff recommends changes or additional budget action.