Jamesburg enters 21st century with new website that offers greater capabilities

BY Christopher Lang, Correspondent, @topherlang2 | MonroeNow | Aug 21, 2018

JAMESBURG – The borough took a technological step forward last week when it officially launched a more modern, user-friendly municipal website, replacing its old design that had been in use for more than a decade.

Though the new municipal website, which launched on Aug. 15, is “still a work in progress,” said Borough Administrator and CFO Scott Frueh on Tuesday, it offers more capabilities than the previous version.

“The older site was so antiquated, I couldn’t even get in to it … it was a pain,” Frueh said, adding that other designated employees were also experiencing difficulties.

The new site will eventually allow borough residents to pay their property taxes and sewer bills online, which was not an option before. It also provides a means to contact departments about issues, such as street repairs, though at this time Frueh said those messages will go to the clerk’s office to distribute. He also believes the site has internal capabilities to translate into different languages, which has a decent number of residents who speak a form of Spanish.

“We also are looking to get to the 21st century with the technology,” he said. “The website can adapt to smart phones without loss [of] viewing. My hope is to add stories about the borough and its residents, businesses and our staff.”

One early initiative to highlight residents’ contributions is a call for photos. Residents can submit their photos of life in Jamesburg or of community locations to the administrator to get their “15 minutes of fame,” if the submission is selected for posting. Submissions should be in digital format and in good taste and emailed to Frueh.

The borough contracted with Revize Software Systems of Troy, Mich., which describes itself as the “government website experts,” for a five-year agreement totaling approximately $16,000 between implementation and yearly support costs.

“I would recommend them to another person. They did a great job,” Frueh said.

“At the end of [the] day we want all people who either live and/or work in the borough to be able to get the information they need regarding local events and day-to-day items that they need to take care of without going to four different websites,” he said.