Palmer unveils soft launch of redesigned town website; staff ask for public patience

Ashley Place, a town staffer involved in communications, introduced Palmer’s redesigned website at the council meeting and asked residents for patience while remaining content and document uploads are completed by September.

"Everything on this website was uploaded by hand, every text character, every document," Place said, noting the soft launch around the Fourth of July and that staff were still moving documents and finalizing features. Key features highlighted include a government tab (departments, town manager, clerk, boards and committees), a municipal buildings directory with contact information, a community events calendar, a separate meetings calendar for boards and committees, an area for latest notices and emergency notifications, and an accessibility statement.

Councilors asked whether the site supports subscription or notification options, consolidation of multiple departmental calendars (recycling, leaf‑pit schedules), and push notifications for meeting postings. Place said the site runs on vendor software (Catalyst), that some notification features may be an add‑on cost, and that staff will continue to work with the vendor and departments to add calendars and subscription options where possible.

Place encouraged residents to use the public Facebook page and the new site’s latest notices for time‑sensitive updates and invited feedback through the webmaster contact button. Staff said remaining content and functional refinements should be in place by September.

The presentation concluded with councilors thanking communications staff for the work on the site and suggesting prioritized additions such as recycling calendars and easily discoverable access to meeting minutes and notifications.