American Fork’s website revamp is a 16-week project that will top $40,000. Is this more than new colors and a logo?

American Fork City will spend $40,548 to have its website redesigned, illustrating just how fast-paced changes in technology and residents’ habits have put small cities’ budgets under pressure to keep up with the times.

From cross-platform compatibility, such as smart phones and tablets, to push notifications, e-payment, and online opinion polls, today’s expectations of city governments are long past a newsletter and a blog. That American Fork City last upgraded its website in 2009, promising to “offer the advantages of the latest in… technology,” highlights the dizzying pace of the Internet.

The push for a new city website comes also as a majority of American Fork residents use online services, even socialize, shop and pay bills, all via the Internet.

But for city councilman Robert Shelton, a new website is not just about keeping up with the times. It’s about transparency — essentially removing the veil from local government through technology.

“I have no problem allocating this [money] because it adds transparency to the city,” Shelton said. “We need to have a user-friendly website that gives accurate information and adds transparency.”

American Fork City Information Technology director George Schade said that the city looked at 10 companies that had replied to the request for proposal to overhaul the website. After interviewing four, American Fork zeroed-in on CivicPlus, a Kansas-based company that had created websites for more than 1,600 towns, cities and counties, including North Salt Lake, Highland and Sevier County.

Still, the $40,548 price tag for a fresh coat of paint and a new logo is certain to arouse the ire of some budget watchdogs. (Councilman Carlton Bowen voted against the redesign; councilman Jeffrey Shorter for it.) But for Schade, it’s what’s under the hood that will reap big benefits for the city, as it will be a lot easier for the staff to update the content of the website.

While the features promised by CivicPlus are too legion to list, a web design company doesn’t update the content. It’s left to the city staff to keep residents well-informed.

For Shelton, who has found himself frustrated at the lack of updates on the current website, that will be the most salient issue for the new site.

“It’s very important that we keep that up to date… because a website is only as good as you have the upkeeps,” Shelton finally said. “And we need to have the policy in place to make sure that will happen.”

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