The city of Colusa has a new, overhauled Web site that officials hope will provide residents with easier access to local government.

City Manager Robert Hickey said the new site should give citizens better access to local government and community events.

"We're very excited about the changes," Hickey said. "The new site makes it easier for people to find out exactly what's going on locally."

Webmaster Lloyd Green Jr. of Datamind XP Productions designed the new site.

"We feel it is wise to spend money if it opens up the government and makes everything we do transparent to the public," said Hickey. "Many times, people don't get involved because the information is not easy enough to get at. The site makes that information very easy to find and view."

People now have improved access to government documents with the new "Requests For Bids" link. That allows site visitors to view all bids and proposals that the council is seeking or considering.

Site visitors can also retrieve backup documents for meetings of the City Council, Tree Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, Planning Commission, and the Colusa Heritage Partners Committee.

"We also have backup documents, such as staff reports, imbedded in some previous agendas and minutes," said Hickey. "It is designed so that if people want to know what happened at a particular meeting or track specific issues, they can find a link that will take them to all relevant documents related to their search."

Viewers can also find everything from when trash will be collected over the holiday season and city financial statements to municipal job openings, including descriptions, salaries, and downloadable applications. The site also provides downloadable access to the city's new General Plan.

The site is a work in progress, Hickey said.

"We're still experiencing some growing pains as we learn what works and what doesn't, but the site is vastly improved already," he said.

Check it out

Robert Parsons is a reporter for the Colusa County Sun-Herald and can be reached at 458-2121 or at rparsons@tcnpress.com