Englewood communications secures state grant for new website, highlights wayfinding and neighborhood programs
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Summary
The communications department reported four national awards, 2.2 million web page views in 2025, a State Internet Portal Authority grant covering $98,100 for a website redesign (with ~$15,000 annual fees), and capital priorities focused on wayfinding, neighborhood signage and public art.
Chris Hargoth, Englewood’s communications director, presented the department’s 2026 priorities and successes, including national awards, digital metrics and a state grant to redesign the city website.
Hargoth said the department won four National Association of Government Communicators awards for projects including the Englewood Trolley rebrand, the student art calendar and the city annual report, and noted the city was named a top performer in community connections by a governance survey.
Lucia Magnuson said the department won a State Internet Portal Authority grant that covers the full website implementation cost ($98,100) and estimated annual platform and hosting fees of about $15,000. Magnuson said the department is 91% complete with a digital-accessibility transition plan (with PDF remediation remaining), has conducted 34 usability lab interviews and identified about 121 improvements; she said staff plan a fall 2026 implementation and estimate nine months for the work.
On placemaking and neighborhoods, the department highlighted additional community message boards, traffic cabinet wraps and a primary gateway installation. Madeline Hinkfist summarized the Neighborhood Resources Program: eight neighborhood nights, 73 neighborhood events across 28 neighborhoods, 30 registered neighborhood groups, 37 small grants and 81 snow-buddy volunteer pairs.
Hargoth listed three capital priorities—wayfinding along the Englewood South corridor, neighborhood signage and the new website—and noted the communications team now liaisons with the Cultural Arts Commission on public art placement. He said bringing graphic design in-house and creating a full-time visual communications specialist have helped the department handle a higher volume and complexity of cross-department projects.
Next steps: staff will combine Englewood Engaged with the main site to save about $15,000 a year, continue accessibility work and advance wayfinding elements in the Englewood South corridor in coordination with public-works staff.