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Mayor says city will move forward with local vendor for website overhaul
Summary
Olmsted Falls leaders discussed a redesigned city website with online permitting, payments and an AI chatbot; Mayor Gluss said the city intends to proceed with a local resident/vendor offering a faster timeline and lower hosting fees than larger vendors.
Olmsted Falls Mayor Gluss told the Community Development Committee that the city will move forward with a local resident to redesign and host the municipal website, emphasizing faster implementation and lower ongoing hosting costs.
Councilwoman Jennifer Jansen outlined planned features for the new site, saying it will be "mobile friendly, ADA compliant, quick buttons, and fillable online and submittal forms" and will include a citizen request form with tracking so staff can see whether complaints—such as potholes—were resolved. Jansen said the site will also include an AI chatbot that searches the municipal site to answer routine questions.
Mayor Gluss summarized the procurement options presented to council: two commercial vendors and a local resident. He said Revize quoted a redesign at $7,500 and hosting that could range from a $1,100 base to about $3,000 per month for add‑ons; he said the local vendor's proposal was $9,999.99 for the redesign and $100 per month for hosting, with one hour of monthly support included and training for the clerk of council and the administrative assistant. "In two months if the city does not like his service then we can choose to leave and go with someone else," Gluss said, describing a trial‑period approach.
Officials said the site will enable online permitting and payments for building permits and mayor’s court to reduce cash/check transactions at city offices. Councilmembers asked that links to historical agendas and the city charter be preserved and made easy to find. The committee did not take a formal procurement vote at the meeting; the mayor described the city's intention to proceed with the local vendor.
