Catch Sneak Peek of Redesigned Annapolis.gov
Later this month, we’ll be formally rolling out an exciting redesign of the City’s website. In the meantime, though, we wanted to give you a sneak peek of our handy work: http://web1.annapolis.gov
We hope the new model is reflective of Annapolis as well as highly functional, offering viewers with all the information they have come to expect – and more. But what do you think? Give the new site a test drive and drop us a comment here or send one to webmaster@annapolis.gov.
The site has been many months in the making, and many thanks go out to Inna Young, the City’s webmaster, and the rest of the Management Information Technology team along with other employees from across all departments. As you’ll see, we’re still polishing, and in the coming months we’ll be doing some more rearranging, so your feedback is much appreciated.
New comments policy
Dear Readers:
This blog now requires that anyone posting a comment be logged in as a registered user. The registration process requires the person to validate their email address. The purpose of this change is to eliminate spam comments by ensuring that commenters are real people.
I regret having to make this change, but in recent days this blog has received dozens of spam comments selling all sorts of drugs from oxycontin to tramadol. While I am grateful that the spammers are personally letting me know about these unbelievable offers, I would feel guilty about taking my business away from the City’s locally owned pharmacies.
The registration process is free, simple and easy, and I hope it does not discourage anyone from leaving a comment. Unless it is another can’t-miss opportunity for cheap pharmaceuticals.
Josh
A contributing voice to this blog
Hello, everyone. No, I am not Mayor Josh Cohen. I am Phill McGowan, the public information officer for the City of Annapolis. I am grateful for the opportunity to work with Josh to bring greater transparency to the city government. One way we hope to achieve that goal is through this blog, to which the mayor has asked me to contribute.
A very quick rundown of my resume: I worked for 10 ½ years as an editor, reporter and social media specialist for The Baltimore Sun. I worked 3 ½ of those years as a reporter in Annapolis covering Anne Arundel County government, growth and development, BRAC … and for a few months, Annapolis government.
Annapolis is a tremendous town, and I am glad to be back.
I’ve spent the past seven months immersed in social media efforts for The Sun and at an interactive Washington PR firm. I am excited about informing and engaging constituents through Web/social media, building on the city’s already robust communications operations.
For example, check out the Annapolis Police Department’s Facebook page and Twitter feed. Or follow the City of Annapolis or Annapolis’ transportation department on Twitter.
We will not abandon traditional forms of communications, such as news releases; on the other hand, we will not be afraid to explore new tools to connect vitally important information to city residents.
As always, we want to get your feedback – on the methods we should use to best inform you and, of course, about the issues of the day.
Be sure to put mayorcohen.com in your RSS feed to keep up with new city initiatives.
Welcome
Welcome! I am starting this blog as a way to communicate directly with the citizens of Annapolis and keep people informed about what’s happening at City Hall. I hope you find it informative and I welcome your comments and suggestions.
Thank you for visiting!
- Josh