FENWICK ISLAND – Officials hope a new website will prove easier to navigate and more informative for town residents.
In May, the town unveiled a new website created free of charge by Delaware’s Government Information Center. Town Manager Merritt Burke gave council members an overview of the website, fenwickisland.delaware.gov, on Friday.
“I’m not going to say it’s perfect,” Burke said. “We’re going to continue to improve it and make it better.”
The new site features rotating photos of the town and a list of events and notices on its main page, as well as tabs providing information on various government departments.
“The duplicate and chaotic nature of the other site should hopefully be eliminated,” Burke said.
The creation of a new town website was approved by the council in January, after the complicated layout of the town’s previous website proved difficult to navigate for residents and officials alike. Because the new site was created by the state’s Government Information Center, it was done at no cost to the town and will save Fenwick Island $2,500 a year in maintenance and associated fees. The Government Information Center has also created websites for other municipalities, including Bethel, Blades, Bridgeville and Greenwood, among others.
Fenwick Island Mayor Gene Langan said the new site had been well received but would continue to be improved.
“It’s easier to navigate and search for various topics,” he said. “As with all new sites we will be making minor updates and changes during the next months.”
Council member Julie Lee says the new site is easier to navigate.
“The information on the new website is much more accessible,” she said. “And I know that the town manager and town clerk are working very hard to continue to make improvements.”
The town’s new website also includes a link to Nixle, a nationwide platform that allows people to receive alerts from their local police department no matter where they are.
“Nixle is something we implemented several years ago to try to get more information to the public,” said Fenwick Island Police Chief William Boyden.
The program, which is free, allows residents of participating towns to receive email and text alerts from their law enforcement agencies.
“It’s interactive,” Boyden said. “Anyone can sign on from anywhere in the world and get alerts from the town.”
He said in Fenwick, the program was very useful during nor’easters and hurricanes.
“We highly recommend it,” he said. “With emergency management it’s another tool for us.”
