Albemarle County’s website has been ranked as one of the best in the nation, WINA reports. The Center for Digital Government and The National Association of Counties named the top ten most technologically-advanced counties for four different population categories, and Albemarle (whose most prominent use of technology is their website) placed #8 for counties with populations of less than 150,000. It was a year ago this week that the county launched their current website, which proved a vast improvement on their old setup, for both the public and county employees. From their A-mail service to their on-line job applications, their forms library to their rational URL schema and site structure (ahem), Albemarle has improved their use of technology considerably in the past couple of years.
Sideblog
Police announced this afternoon that their investigation into what was initially believed to be a fatal fire on Rugby Avenue is now a homicide investigation. #
The Virginia Supreme Court has denied George Huguely’s appeal. His second-degree murder conviction will stand, WRIC reports. #
In a carefully worded story, and not citing specific sources, WTVR reports that forensic evidence belonging to Jesse Matthew Jr., the main suspect in the disappearance of Hannah Graham, matches forensic evidence collected during the investigation of Morgan Harrington’s 2009 murder. #
In the wake of Hannah Graham’s disappearance, and the evidence that came from private security footage, city officials are revisiting the question of installing security cameras on the downtown mall. #
Both Charlottesville Registrar Sheri Iachetta and former Electoral Board member Stephanie Commander have turned themselves in to the police on
foursix and four felony counts of embezzlement, respectively. #Ten years ago, the National Institutes of Health budget doubled and schools like the University of Virginia built massive new research facilities. A decade later, those buildings remain largely underutilized. NPR visits UVA in this story on the effect of federal binge and spurge spending in the sciences. #
In 2012, Council approved a new student housing complex on West Main—now some council members are questioning whether what they were shown matches what was built. #
The Architectural Review Board has approved a bike-themed mural on West Market, below the McGuffey Art Center, although at least one member expressed concerns that it might look like the bicyclists were riding away from Charlottesville’s downtown. #
City Police Chief Tim Longo is meeting with city leaders to work on protocols regarding the use of military surplus police weapons in Charlottesville. #
A 100-year-old Colonnades resident received military honors for her service in the WWII Women’s Army Corps #
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I’ve just now noticed that Charlottesville is now taking on-line payments for utility bills, parking tickets, real estate taxes, and personal property taxes, which is great. What took them so bloody long, I can’t say, but it’s great to see.
Here in Blacksburg, I’m able to monitor my daily use of water and pay for it on-line, which I love — it’s one less check to write and letter to mail, plus I like seeing the effects of my meager conservation efforts.
That Blacksburg system is wonderful.
Of course, I’m such a whiny bastard that I just see stuff to be fixed. :) But I have to say that whenever I’ve needed some sort of town document (from the whole of the comprehensive plan to a parking lot space renewal form), it’s available, easy to find, created with a hackable URL structure and in code that renders nicely in Safari or Firefox. I figure whoever is maintaining their site is a decent geek, and the town is plainly willing to respect their role in the operation of the town. And, frankly, the latter is more important than any amount of W3C compliance or flavor-of-the-month geekery.
Incidentally, all of B’burg’s cool stuff is here.