News Flash

The City of Dubuque has launched a new website to increase access to information and services and to improve communication with residents.

“More and more people expect to be able to conduct business with or to interact with their local government at a time and place convenient for them - not just eight to five, Monday through Friday, when City Hall is open. This new website allows Dubuque residents to do that,” said Dubuque City Manager Michael Van Milligen. “Dubuque now has a website that reflects the value we provide our residents, businesses, and guests. It also is a great resource for individuals, families, and businesses considering relocating to Dubuque.”

Whether it be reporting a code violation, requesting a service, registering for a City program, or learning about and providing input on important City issues, it can all now be done online instead of having to travel to City Hall or call during business hours.

While the address is the same, www.cityofdubuque.org, almost everything else has changed. In addition to a completely new graphic appearance and navigation system with information categorized under easy-to-understand tabs, the website features a “Citizen Support Center” which allows site visitors to search a knowledgebase of more than 450 frequently asked questions (FAQs). If their question is not listed, they have the capability to ask their own question, which can then be added to the knowledgebase library.

The service request module of the Citizen Support Center allows residents to submit a service request to the City-such as reporting a streetlight out or requesting a pothole to be filled. This module then captures, routes, manages, searches and reports on all service requests submitted to the City. Both the resident and City staff have the capability to access and track the service request and its status.

The online payment module of the Citizen Support Center allows residents the convenience of paying City utility bills and parking tickets online. The City currently offers two methods for electronic payment of your utility bill or parking fines payment; electronic check (electronic transfer of funds from a checking account) and credit card (Visa, Mastercard, and Discover). A four percent convenience fee is charged on each credit card transaction.

The site also offers live and archived streaming of video from Dubuque’s government access channel, CityChannel 8. This technology allows anyone with a high-speed internet connection to view Dubuque City Council, Dubuque Zoning Advisory Commission, Dubuque County Supervisor meetings, and all CityChannel 8 programming on their computer. In addition to live streaming of the channel through a video player window, this service also archives meeting videos and most programs. For additional convenience, the video player window includes the meeting agenda for City Council and Zoning Advisory Commission meetings with direct links to access discussion on specific agenda items within the archived meeting. Site visitors can also use an agenda keyword search to search for the issue they are interested in watching. Archived meetings are generally available for viewing the morning after the meeting takes place.

Additional features of the new website include:
• a “Notify Me” e-mail subscription service for a variety of news and updates;
• an Online Job Application module with automatic notification of job postings;
• a searchable archive of agendas, minutes, newsletters, and news releases;
• automatic notification of City bid requests and requests for proposals;
• a detailed calendar of City events and meetings;
• a comprehensive City staff directory; and
• a “Document Center” that provides access to important City documents.

The new website was designed to be engaging and convenient. City departments and divisions are continuing to add information and options on the site which will continue to grow and evolve. Residents are encouraged to visit frequently to take advantage of new services and get the latest information.

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