Agoura Hills Council reviews major city website redesign project progress

The Agoura Hills City Council convened on May 14, 2025, to discuss several key agenda items, with a significant focus on the ongoing website redesign project. The meeting began with Mayor Sylvester introducing the final discussion item, which was met with enthusiasm from Council Member Klein Lopez.

Communications Manager Mary Haddad provided an update on the website redesign, highlighting substantial progress since the project commenced in July 2024. The new site aims to enhance user experience by reducing the number of pages from 480 to 290, a 40% decrease, ensuring that only the most relevant information is accessible to the community. This consolidation was achieved through collaboration with various city departments, emphasizing the importance of minimizing clicks for users.

Haddad detailed the content migration phase, where existing pages were updated to a more visually appealing format. A significant milestone was the approval of the city’s .gov URL, which will be implemented alongside new email addresses for city officials, ensuring a seamless transition for users.

Training sessions were conducted for city staff to familiarize them with the new website, which received positive feedback for its user-friendliness. A quality assurance check confirmed that all new pages are compliant with accessibility standards, ensuring that the site meets the needs of all community members.

The beta version of the website was showcased during the meeting, featuring an intuitive design with emergency notification capabilities, a prominent search bar, and options for language translation. The site also includes a citizen request center, allowing residents to easily submit inquiries to the appropriate departments.

Council members expressed their excitement about the redesign, praising its potential to improve transparency and accessibility for residents. Council Member Klein Lopez emphasized the importance of having a user-friendly platform that can adapt to emergency situations, while other members highlighted the accessibility features and the streamlined directory.

The council unanimously approved the staff recommendation to move forward with the website launch, which is targeted for summer 2025. Haddad also mentioned plans for community outreach to educate residents, particularly seniors, on navigating the new site.

In addition to the website update, the council discussed the implementation of a new agenda management software, AgendaLink, which aims to enhance the efficiency of meeting agendas and public access to city documents.

The meeting concluded with Mayor Sylvester announcing upcoming local events and the next council meeting scheduled for June 2025, marking a productive session focused on improving city services and community engagement.