New website coming to Whitman County in 2020

The motion was passed by the county commissioners, Monday, Nov. 4, to authorize the County Information Technology Director, Lance Bishop, to purchase a new website and its services.

Craig Wines, county network administrator, explained in the Monday commissioner workshop the website provider has a four month installation time frame from start to finish.

To begin its development process, 30 percent of the charge needs to be paid up front. The cost of the new site is $19,000.

Art Swannack, county commissioner, said the plan was to have this bill worked into the 2020 budget since that will be the year the website will operate.

“If that's the case we will have to hold off until 2020 to even get started,” Wines said. “We would be pushing out another two months if we start in 2020.”

Swannack added they could pay the 30 percent, an approximate rounded number of $6,000 in 2019.

“This will change our budgets a little bit,” Swannack said.

The remaining 70 percent would be paid when the new website goes live.

If the process gets started soon, Wines said he can see the new website being completed by February.

After the first year the website will cost $4,700 each following year.

“As soon as we get the contracted money to them they will start working with us,” Wines said. “Their timeline is 16 weeks from 'let's do this' to 'you are now on this new website' and that includes training.”

After the motion was passed, Wines expressed that he is glad this is moving forward.