City of Bloomington Web site recognized as one of country’s best

The Center for Digital Government announced that the City of Bloomington has been ranked as one of the most progressive and innovative Web sites in the country.

The center, which ranked Bloomington among other large cities such as Boulder, Louisville and Tampa, analyzed sites for accessibility of information, efficiency, ease of use and exceptional service to public, according to a press release.

City Information and Technology Services Department Director Rick Dietz believes the Web site’s Open Source foundation and features, as well as the City’s ongoing commitment to the site’s enhancement, has helped it become recognized.

“Our top priority has always been having a feature-rich, user-friendly, highly informative site that gives residents and visitors an opportunity to explore the many programs and services available to the community,” Dietz said in a press release. “We are continually updating the information on our site and incorporating new tools to help us better connect with the public.”

The Web site includes individual departmental pages with area-specific programs and services; news and updates; City events calendars; RSS feeds; interactive GIS maps; information on recycling and trash pickup; specific business incentives available through the City and the State of Indiana; messages from department directors; blogs from City staff; videos and photo galleries of events and speeches; information on public safety; maps of the City and a myBloomington function, which allows users to find important municipal information by inputting their home addresses, according to a press release.