City updates website to better serve, engage

The city of Bryant recently updated its website with plans to make more updates to better serve the residents and engage with the community.

“The website we had was not very user friendly,” said Bryant Mayor Allen Scott, adding it was hard to find information on the old site.

It was also not Americans with Disability Act compliant, which the new one is.

The city contracted with local marketing firm DNT Media for the new site.

Assistant to the Mayor Dana Poindexter said this new site allows the city to do more than they ever could with the old.

Poindexter said DNT is amazing and continues to build out the website as they go.

The city started the process of updating the site in the fourth quarter of 2021.

Poindexter said there are some minor and some major differences. There is more detail to the agendas. The calendar has been changed so all departments can add to it.

“It is really a citywide government calendar,” she said.

She believes the biggest change is the community engagement page, which was previously report a concern. She said the city wanted a way for residents to more easily communicate with the city.

The new page has several one click buttons where residents can report issues and more. Poindexter said the new options ensure the concerns go straight to the correct department.

The page also has access to the city’s Youtube Channel, which hosts recordings of all city meetings, coffee with the mayor and other information.

There is an option to view city agendas and minutes.

The page features a section where residents can find the latest project updates and sign up to be notified when projects are updated. Residents can learn what projects are happening around them, timelines and more.

“It is a one spot source for our community to engage with us,” Poindexter said.

While the old Notify Me still works, Poindexter encouraged

people to sign up for the new one through the website because it has more options.

The website also includes human resources, bids, resources tab, business center and staff directory.

Poindexter has been working to let the community know about the update. She recently gave talk to the Bryant Planning Commission on it.

She emphasized the city wants feedback so as they continue to update the system suggested changes can be included. Poindexter said the current changes are only the first step.

For more engagement, Poindexter said DNT is working with the departments to create videos and content for the city’s social media. They are also working with the departments to build out pages for the website.

Scott said the website update is one of the many ways the city is working to make it easier for people to communicate with the city and make their needs known.