LAWTON – Comanche County officials are considering revamping the county’s website to make it more user-friendly.
The Board of Comanche County Commissioners discussed the possibility of hiring an informational technology firm to redesign the website on Oct. 9 but did not take action. Krystal Chiddix, administrative assistant to District 3 Commissioner Josh Powers, will consult the county’s elected officials to learn more about what features the new website should have.
“The county website is a little outdated, and it’s not real, real user-friendly,” Powers said. “I think a good use of some ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds would be to make the county more digitally accessible so that during times of closure, people would have more access to the courthouse.”
Chiddix put together a packet for IT companies to review, which included a memo about why the website should be redesigned. The memo said the website needs improvements in the following areas:
• Content should be organized more clearly to promote better communication between constituents and county officials and improve their access to crucial information.
• The website is too slow, as some pages and documents take a long time to load.
• Access to content is poor across multiple devices, due to inconsistencies in how the site is designed and organized.
The memo said redesigning and developing the website would help Comanche County enhance its image, promote economic development and offer vital access to important information. District 3 estimated that redesign and development might cost no more than $100,000 while recurring annual costs might range from $1,500 to $6,500, depending on which features the county wants.
Powers said elected officials will be consulted about what they would like to see on the new website.
“It won’t be real cheap,” he said. “But at the same time, it could last us for a really long time if we do it right.”
Cybersecurity
Emergency Management Director Clint Langford said he thought a new website would be less vulnerable to a cyberattack than the existing site.
“I feel like our current website is pretty vulnerable and if someone ever decides they want to attack us, they could probably shut it down instantly,” he said. “A modern website with built-in cybersecurity would definitely be something we need to look at.”
Funding for the project could come from the county’s pot of ARPA dollars, which were part of the federal government’s effort to help local units of government recover from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Oklahoma received $1.8 billion in ARPA funds, and the county’s share came to about $23 million. Those dollars must be allocated by the end of 2024 and spent by Dec. 31, 2026.