With an increased emphasis on ease of use for customers, Westmeath County Council’s new website www.westmeathcoco.ie was launched this week to great welcome from local councillors.
The new site aims to provide online services and information that is customer-focused, and is designed to be easy to navigate, with clear, unambiguous content.
Added to the existing list of online transactions available, customers can now register online for the Register of Electors and avail of ‘Contact us’ forms which feed directly into the council’s customer services system. There are also additional options for paying rates, water charges, loans, and rents online.
In a move into the social networking scene, Twitter accounts have also been set up for both the council and the county library service. These can be viewed at twitter.com/westmeathcoco and twitter.com/whcclibrary and it is hoped they will help bring the council’s online service to a wider audience.
The website also features a new mapping service to display information about the location of council services.
The new site was designed in-house by the council’s ICT department, with Kevin Monaghan presenting the new-look website, complete with working demonstration, to councillors at Monday’s meeting.
Members described the site as “user-friendly”, with Cllr Denis Leonard welcoming the news that the site can be changed to reflect different concerns during the year, such as offering information and advice in the event of extreme weather conditions.
