by Marsha Chartrand

The City of Manchester’s updated website officially went live on Monday, March 2. It replaces the previous website design, which had its roots going back roughly 15 years. While the former site served the community for a long time, the new platform provides a more modern layout and improved usability for residents and visitors looking for information about City services, departments, and community events.

The new website is hosted through CivicPlus, a platform widely used by municipalities across the country. The system is designed specifically for local governments and focuses on making websites easier to navigate for residents while also allowing municipal staff to efficiently update and manage content. The goal is to improve communication and make information easier for residents to find.

City Manager, Michael Sessions, shared that the transition is still ongoing. “City staff are continuing to work through some of the expected migration issues that can occur when moving content from an older platform to a new one,” he explained. “Items such as past meeting minutes and agendas are part of that process and will continue to be reviewed and uploaded over the next several weeks as staff work through the material to ensure all information is accurate and complete.”

Over the weekend, Sessions learned of a Facebook post asking about the availability of City Council agendas and minutes on the new website. “That feedback reflects the same issue tied to the site migration process, and staff are working to move those materials to the top of the update list,” he said and added that the city administration appreciates the patience of residents as City staff continue updating the website.

Coming soon, a mass notification system will allow the City to send alerts to residents during emergencies or urgent situations, such as boil water notices or other community-wide notifications that require quick communication, for instance, if the tornadoes that hit Southwest Michigan on Friday had struck closer to Manchester. This system is opt-in only, and residents will receive a letter within the next month, explaining how they can sign up for the City’s mass communication system.

The city administration is also continuing to add content that highlights local organizations, community events, and City departments. “The goal is to make the website a helpful resource when residents have questions about events such as the Community Fair, Chicken Broil, and other community activities, as well as provide clearer information about City services and departments,” Sessions said.

As for the transition from “village” to “city,” the city has updated signage where it is financially reasonable to do so. Some signage has not made sense to change immediately, such as the large lettering on City Hall and vehicle markings. Removing existing vinyl on vehicles will occur as vehicles are replaced. Similarly, other materials will continue to be updated as they come up through normal daily operations.

Check out the new website for yourself at https://www.city-manchester.org/.