PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The Presque Isle City Council will soon have a new website designed by a Michigan company.
Meeting at the Sargent Family Community Center on June 1, the council voted to give the job to Revize of Troy, Michigan, which submitted the lowest cost estimate of $21,000, said City Manager Martin Puckett.
A committee was formed in 2020 to discuss a new, updated website, and the group surveyed residents as to what they would like to see in the site. The public, as well as staff and the council, felt it should be mobile friendly, easy to navigate, contain social media links and a city events calendar, and staff should be able to update it regularly, according to council documents.
Puckett told councilors that 60 to 75 percent of people who access municipal websites do so on a mobile device, so smartphone and tablet compatibility is key. Committee members reviewed requests for proposals ranging from $65,000 to $21,000, he said.
Revize offered a design that will be easy for staff to update, which would be particularly useful if events are canceled or there is an emergency, and also has a 24-hour helpline for assistance. The company administers websites for Saco, Hampden, Waterboro, Augusta and Alfred, Puckett said.
“Having something that’s mobile friendly is a big deal,” Council Chairman Kevin Freeman said.
Councilors who had accessed Revize-built websites for other Maine communities said they were pleased with the ease of navigation and interactiveness of those sites.
The group voted unanimously to award the job to Revize.
Puckett presented an update on City Hall renovation. The first and second floors are complete and work is ongoing on the third floor, including the council chambers. Work is about four weeks behind schedule.
“We were hoping the next council meeting would be there, but we’re not quite there,” he said.
As of Wednesday, crews were framing exterior windows on the third floor and working on the heating and cooling system.
The last piece will be the front entrance, which will involve extending the canopy. That project was included in the renovation plan but has not yet been estimated, said councilor Craig Green. Green and Mike Chasse are the two councilors on the building committee.
The staff now inhabiting the first and second floors have a more comfortable environment in which to work, Freeman said, and have heard a lot of positive comments from the community.
A grand opening and tour will be scheduled at a later date.
In other business, Presque Isle International Airport Director Scott Wardwell said the airport had the best March, April and May since 2007 as far as flight boardings. Fuel sales have also doubled since 2019, he said.
The increases come despite higher fuel costs and cancellation of Washington Dulles connections due to the ongoing national pilot shortage spurred by COVID-19. People are comparing prices between flying locally and having to travel down state and possibly stay overnight, and many are choosing to fly from Presque Isle, Wardwell said.
The council also approved changes to the marijuana ordinance discussed at the May meeting, which included prohibiting retail pot stores in agricultural zones, placing health notices, better odor control and an appeal process if a license to operate is not granted.
The council’s next meeting will be on Wednesday, July 6.
