Wellington North launches redesigned website with provincial modernization dollars

WELLINGTON NORTH – Residents here will notice a refreshed and modernized look when visiting the township’s website.

Identified as a problem in the township’s 2019-22 Corporate Strategic Plan, the old website was said to have “outdated information posted and a lack of conformity across pages.”

The site was difficult to navigate and information wasn’t easy to find, according to a June 2021 staff report.

Also, accessibility requirements under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act were not complied with and back-end software was challenging for staff to use.

Last year, the township sought quotes to redesign the website from three companies: OSiM Interactive, eSolutions Group and Upanup.

OSiM Interactive was the township’s provider at the time, but unable to offer the features the township’s project team was after, such as a built-in accessibility checker and e-commerce and software integration, it was ultimately excluded from consideration.

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Upanup Studios Inc., a company building websites for municipal governments across the country, was ultimately chosen for the rebuild despite providing a quote of $59,600 – about $30,300 more than eSolutions Group’s less expensive quote of $29,300 for first year costs.

The township crunched the numbers and found that across a seven-year website lifespan (before another rebuild would be needed) hosting and licensing expenses would be in excess of $53,000 with eSolutions, whereas Upanup rang in at $14,400, a difference of $39,000.

Given the long-term expenses, council awarded the rebuild with a greater up-front cost to Upanup with dollars coming from the province’s modernization and efficiency grant, from which, in 2019, the township received $618,175.

The new design officially launched in February.