Visalia unveils redesigned city website with accessibility and service-request tools

City staff on the work session agenda gave the council a first look at a redesigned Visalia website that staff described as more accessible, mobile-friendly and integrated with service-request and records tools.

Shawn O'Neil, Administrative Services Director, introduced the presentation and commended departments and the Citizens Advisory Committee for input. Allison Mackey (Communications and Brand Manager) walked council through the new design and functionality, demonstrating See Click Fix integration for service requests, a consolidated public records request portal, improved search and a compliance-enhancing AudioEye accessibility tool.

Mackey said community outreach included several in-person listening sessions and an open comment period; staff used search analytics from the old site to place top requests one click from the front page. "Anything that was in the top 10 is now one click away on the front page of the new site," she said. Staff also noted the need to meet WCAG 2.1 AA requirements and flagged a federal DOJ compliance date staff will track.

Council members praised the work and thanked staff. Staff said the site was scheduled to go live the next day and that the platform is a living project that will be refined using analytics and user feedback.