Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Digital Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Needles previews redesigned city website, targets end-of-May launch
Summary
City marketing consultants showed a near‑complete redesign of the Needles city website, highlighting easier navigation, a dedicated news section and plans for tourism/resident/business video spots; consultants and staff said the site could go live by the end of May pending final inputs.
City marketing consultants presented a preview of a redesigned Needles city website and told council the platform is nearly ready and aimed for a late‑May go‑live.
The presentation by the contracted team emphasized a cleaner homepage, an updated city council page with individual contact links, a parks and recreation hub and a consolidated news section intended to improve resident access to agendas, minutes and city notices. "The new platform is more visually appealing, easier to navigate, and more impactful to help connect with residents, visitors, and businesses," said Jennifer Netweight, the project's principal for the vendor team.
Why it matters: Councilmembers and members of the public pressed the team on features that affect tourism and daily use — Route 66 content, an interactive events calendar (submissions subject to administrative approval), direct hyperlinks to lodging and services, and a planned set of three promotional videos aimed at tourists, residents and businesses. Kylie Sun of the vendor team said the consultant is "98% ready" and can make the site live once remaining page content is finalized by staff.
Council members also asked about prelaunch testing and public beta access; the vendor said internal troubleshooting is complete and staff can arrange broader testing if desired. Multiple speakers urged the site to highlight Needles’ Route 66 history and outdoor‑recreation assets; the presenters said high‑quality Route 66 imagery and an "about Needles" history page will be carried over and updated.
What the city will do next: Staff will provide outstanding content for final pages, coordinate migration with the city’s hosting provider and bring a formal launch plan to the council. Consultants also described follow‑on marketing activities (search‑engine optimization, geo‑targeted digital ads and video production) that would run after the website is launched.
The preview was informational; council did not take a formal vote on the site itself. The consultant team asked for and received feedback to implement before the next meeting.
