La Marque to move city website to .gov, adds accessibility tools and regular department updates

La Marque city staff told the City Council on Jan. 26 that the city will adopt a “website-first” communications strategy and migrate its primary site to a .gov address on Feb. 2 to improve security and continuity.

Colleen, the city’s communications and IT lead, said the move is primarily intended to enhance security and that existing .org URLs will be redirected. She said the city added AudioEye — an accessibility tool that appears as a small round icon at the bottom of the homepage — so people who use screen readers or need larger fonts or different contrast settings can access city content. “It’s on the website now. It’s active,” Colleen said.

Staff also said they have posted the finance director’s reports and the city newsletter to the website so residents can find them without relying on social media. The communications office plans a rotating schedule for department updates (finance, public works, etc.) and a public‑works “status” format that will mirror existing finance PDFs. “We’re migrating to a .gov…The number one reason is security,” Colleen said.

Council members asked how residents will find the accessibility features and whether the city’s mass-notification system will continue to function after the migration. Colleen demonstrated the site and said the AudioEye icon is at the page bottom; she also said cross-training for the mass-notification system will take place on Feb. 2 so others can send alerts if she is unavailable.

Staff added that Channel 16 graphics and procedures are being updated so information on the city cable channel remains current, and they plan to post weekly or biweekly updates from public works so residents can track street repairs and crew activity. Council members urged staff to be cautious about publishing live crew locations because of safety and staffing‑flexibility concerns but supported a regular, predictable reporting cadence.

The council did not take formal action on the website migration at the meeting. Staff said they will communicate any temporary interruptions and provide navigation guidance once the switch occurs.