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Royal Palm Beach unveils redesigned website, app and accessibility features; council asks for easier access to resurfacing maps
Summary
IS Director Randy Brown and media specialist Chelsea Gomez demonstrated a redesigned village website and the RPB Connect mobile app at the May 21 council meeting; the site was launched early to meet accessibility requirements and council members requested clearer navigation to the 5‑year resurfacing plan.
The Village of Royal Palm Beach showcased a redesigned municipal website and companion mobile app at the council’s May 21 meeting, with staff citing accessibility compliance and improved usability as primary goals.
"About 81% of the script that I'm about to present here was written by AI," IS Director Randy Brown said during the demonstration, noting the site was launched slightly ahead of schedule to meet web accessibility guidelines. Media specialist Chelsea Gomez walked council members through the site’s layout, describing eight primary top‑level menu items and a "big four" content area that highlights roadwork and traffic advisories, community publications, monthly events and village successes. The village also promoted a mobile app, RPB Connect, to push real-time notifications to residents.
Presenters said the site retains a traditional menu for deep navigation while adding front-page visual highlights for casual users. Subscriptions are available for news, canal updates, the mayor’s e-newsletter, event notices and bid/RFP alerts. Staff also said they plan to improve online delivery for building permit forms and other transactions within about a month.
Council members tested the site and pressed staff for simpler access to the 5‑year resurfacing plan and road-closure information. Engineering staff demonstrated a dynamic GIS map that holds the resurfacing plan, but multiple councilors said the current navigation burdened typical users. "If you can make it a one-click or a 'how do I' shortcut that points directly to the resurfacing plan, that would be helpful," one council member said. Staff said they can add meta tags and clearer links, adjust the "how do I" tile, or place a persistent hyperlink in the news flash to reduce clicks.
No formal action was required: the presentation was informational. Staff said they will follow up to improve search results and page navigation so residents can find resurfacing and road-closure information more quickly.
