BLAND — Bland aldermen voted July 13 to move forward with creating the city’s first official website, approving a proposal from a local web design company that officials said will improve access to city information and services while providing a central location for residents to conduct business with City Hall.

The website proposal was presented by Angie Tutterrow of Cuba, who previously helped develop websites for the city of Rolla and Visit Rolla. Tutterrow told the board the website would serve as an information hub for residents while reducing repetitive phone calls to city staff.

Under the proposal, the website will include a homepage, city government information, public works information, permits and applications, municipal court information, online payment links, meeting agendas, news and notices and contact information. Officials also discussed adding a police department section that would include forms for citizens to submit complaints, including anonymous complaints if desired.

Tutterrow said the website would be designed with room to grow over time, allowing additional features to be added as the city’s needs change.

Among the optional features discussed were an artificial intelligence-powered chatbot that could answer questions using information published on the city’s website, along with an SMS text notification system that residents could subscribe to for announcements about meetings, events, emergencies and other city updates.

The chatbot and text messaging services would not be included initially but could be added later. Tutterrow said the text messaging service would start at approximately $20 per month, with costs based on the number of characters used. She said the service would stop sending messages if the monthly character limit was reached rather than generating overage charges.

Board members also discussed the ability to post news updates, provide downloadable permit applications, direct residents to online utility bill payments and eventually allow citizens to submit forms electronically.

Tutterrow said the website could also incorporate Bland’s historical seal into a new city logo.

The proposal includes a one-time design cost of $3,200, which covers website development, setup, training and the first year of web hosting. She estimated the project would take six to eight weeks to complete.

After the first year, annual web hosting would cost $149 per year. Additional changes to the website would not require a monthly maintenance contract but would instead be billed on an hourly basis as needed. Staff training or future content updates would be available at $50 per hour, with billing based only on the time used.

During discussion, City Clerk Karen Dittman told the board the city had also received a proposal from another company based in Utah that would have cost $2,400 to build the website, $1,200 annually for service and required the city to sign a contract.

Aldermen said they preferred working with a local company that could provide support in person if needed.

“I don’t think you’re going to beat it,” Alderman Shari Morgan said. “And she’s local. Come on, let’s help our local businesses out. That’s what we’re all about.”

Board members agreed that having an official website has become a necessity for local government and would improve communication with residents while helping prepare the city for future growth.

Following discussion, the board voted 4-0 to approve the proposal.