Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
Freedom’s Frontier
National Heritage Area
Lawrence, Kansas
Developed by
Carrie Broeckelmann • Regional Account Manager • Direct Line 785-477-4982 • Broeckelmann@CivicPlus.com
Icon Enterprises, Inc., d/b/a • CivicPlus • 317 Houston St., Suite E • Manhattan, KS 66502
Toll Free 888-228-2233, Ext. 315 • Fax 785-587-8951 • www.CivicPlus.com
Dear Selection Committee Member for Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area:
When you partner with CivicPlus, you will receive a website development experience unmatched in the industry. Your new
CivicPlus website will boast significantly increased functionality, next-generation features and a stunning new design, all
created to meet your organization needs.
The features in our content management system have helped hundreds of municipal government organizations connect more
easily with residents, visitors and businesses. Your CivicPlus website is built with the future in mind: our unrivaled service and
support ensures that your website will keep pace with ever-changing technology trends.
We are excited about this opportunity and eager to share our comprehensive knowledge of government-sector
communications. Serving more than 575 municipalities in 46 states and Canada for more than a decade, CivicPlus’ proven
development approach means that we’re the nation’s leading authority on local government websites. Here’s why:
• Experienced Professionals – Your website will be produced by a team of experienced designers, programmers,
content developers and project managers.
• Custom Design – Other companies talk about custom designs but offer the same tired approach to web
development. With CivicPlus, your team will create an award-winning site that specifically reflects the unique qualities
of your community.
• Transparent Pricing – Meeting your fiscal obligations and being a good steward of available resources is vital to
your organization’s success. Our staff openly identifies cost options to foster a trusting relationship that maximizes
your community’s resource dollars.
• Service and Support – Our content management system has been developed not just for local governments, but
with direct input from hundreds of municipalities. As we upgrade our system and launch exciting new features, our
customers reap the rewards. And our 24-hour support line and online training center means you’ll have an unlimited
support system.
• Avoid RISK – To ensure minimal risk to your organization, we provide a Lifetime Warranty – another unparalleled
offering from the experts in government website development.
The following proposal outlines your personalized solution that will reduce the staff workload for Freedom’s Frontier, respect
budget constraints and, most importantly, provide your citizens with a sophisticated online resource that promotes open and
transparent access to your municipal offices. When it comes to expertise in municipal government websites, there simply is no
comparison – you can count on CivicPlus to take Freedom’s Frontier’s website to the next level of online service.
I sincerely welcome the opportunity to elaborate further on our proposal and CivicPlus’ services, and look forward to working
with Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area to demonstrate our commitment to your success.
Respectfully,
Contents
Executive Summary and Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 2
The CivicPlus Advantage – The Leader in Municipal Website Development ........................................................................ 2
The Nation’s Choice for Website Expertise .............................................................................................................................3
Three Essential Factors of Effective Government Websites ................................................................................................. 3
The CivicPlus Philosophy – A Proven Development Approach ............................................................................................. 4
The CivicPlus Effect – Award-Winning Websites and Exceptional Results ........................................................................... 5
History of CivicPlus ................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Company and Contact Information........................................................................................................................................ 6
Dedicated Project Team............................................................................................................................................................. 7
References .................................................................................................................................................................................. 9
Our Project Development Approach....................................................................................................................................... 10
Objective I: Understanding Your Audience and Establishing Your Site's Focus ................................................................. 11
Phase 1: Analysis and Timeline Development ............................................................................................................. 11
Phases 2 & 3: Website Design and Navigation Architecture ........................................................................................ 12
High-Impact Custom Designs Created Specifically for Your Community ..................................................................... 13
Phase 4: Modules and Site Set-Up ..............................................................................................................................14
Objective II: Content Development and Page Layout.......................................................................................................... 16
Phase 5: Content Development ................................................................................................................................... 16
Phase 6: Review and Testing ...................................................................................................................................... 17
Objective III: Equipping Your Staff for Successful Website Maintenance............................................................................ 18
Phase 7: Training ......................................................................................................................................................... 18
Objective IV: Website Deployment ...................................................................................................................................... 19
Phase 8: Go-Live and Project Review ......................................................................................................................... 19
Phases 9 & 10: Marketing and Ongoing Consultation.................................................................................................. 19
Reliable Maintenance, Support and Hosting ......................................................................................................................... 20
Hosting and Security Features ............................................................................................................................................ 21
Intuitive Content Management System .................................................................................................................................. 22
Project Timeline ....................................................................................................................................................................... 24
CivicPlus Project Development Estimate...............................................................................................................................25
Annual Support, Maintenance and Hosting Services .................................................................................................... 28
Conclusion................................................................................................................................................................................ 30
Exceptions to the RFP ............................................................................................................................................................. 31
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Proposal for Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area
Our company is built on more than a decade of experience and more than 575 municipal customers throughout North America.
We view our relationship with you as a partnership where you will experience a level of personal service that our competitors
quite simply cannot match. Several key differentiators set CivicPlus apart from the crowd:
• We Develop Your Content with Usability Expertise. Our experience with municipal governments of all sizes
means that you can expect implementation of proven and effective website architecture with the latest trends in
usability and web writing applied to your website.
• Government Processes are Re-engineered with Web Applications. The modules, features and functionality
included in our content management system will allow your staff to simplify process for site visitors and automate
internal procedures.
• You receive a Website Designed with Your Guidance and for Your Community. Our designers tailor each new
website development project to meet the needs and requests of the customer, meaning your design will be positively
unique and reflective of your vision for your community.
• Our Continuing Partnership Means Your Questions are Always Answered. We don’t disappear after your
website is launched. In fact, we’re committed to your continued success, and our always-available support team
ensures your complete satisfaction with our products.
• We Continually Set the Standard for Government Websites with Your Website Services. Technology and trends
are always changing, and your organization should not be restricted by the limited software and half-hearted support
of our competitors. The CivicPlus development approach means that as standards and technologies change, your
content management system will be upgraded to keep pace with your residents’ changing needs.
The following proposal contents address specifications per RFP Website Redevelopment. The contents include:
• CivicPlus’ capabilities, experience and commitment to clients
• Approach and methodology to transform your site
• Ongoing training and consultation
• Creativity and recommended functionality usage to engage and attract site visitors
• Price estimate
These requirements are demonstrated through an overview of recommended design, functionality and content management
solutions as well as our successes with relevant projects.
The recommendations for Freedom’s Frontier were developed to address your defined needs. All estimates are negotiable
based on client requests. We encourage you to schedule a 45-minute demonstration to visualize all that our services can do
for your organization by an overview of the latest site developments and the administrative interface that allows non-technical
users the ability to update their website as frequently as needed.
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Proposal for Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area
With these three essential factors in mind, your website can be transformed into a powerful communication resource.
The above criteria serve as a constant reference throughout all phases of any CivicPlus website development project.
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Proposal for Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area
Beyond our polished approach to website design and setup, our content “CivicPlus is so professional,
management software includes more features and functionality as a standard part organized, and knowledgeable.
CivicPlus deals only with
of your system than any other product in the industry.
municipalities and you can really
Furthermore, when you select CivicPlus as your website management partner, you tell. You get so much for your
will receive ongoing maintenance, support and hosting services for the duration of dollar, it’s great. I just can’t say
enough good things, working with
your contract. Our clients are reassured by our proven commitment to customer
CivicPlus was a great experience.”
service and ongoing consultation exhibited by the following services:
-Cheryl Winberg, Fort Morgan, CO
• Around-the-clock technical support
“I knew the way we were doing
• Automatic CivicPlus software and module updates
things with our old website wasn’t
• Continued communication and consultation going to work. I found some great
• Monthly e-newsletters city websites and every time I
• Regular care calls with staff dedicated to customer satisfaction looked at the bottom of the
• Access to an online user forum and training materials library homepage it said ‘Powered by
CivicPlus’. I showed our city
• Comprehensive support website
manager your sites and she loved
• Monthly webinar series featuring top industry speakers them. It was a very easy decision to
• Regular training and update webinars introducing the latest releases from make.”
CivicPlus -Lance Crenshaw, Guthrie, OK
• Regional training and user groups
CivicPlus develops websites for municipal government entities – and only municipal government entities. More than $5 million
has been invested in strengthening the content management system, building enhancements and new features, and taking
your suggestions into account. As a result of our targeted customer base, our ongoing research and development will continue
to benefit your investment long after your website has launched. Our upgrades are just part of the CivicPlus philosophy…our
transparent pricing model assures that local government websites continue to advance and improve.
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Proposal for Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area
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Proposal for Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area
History of CivicPlus
Since our inception, CivicPlus has been capturing the passion our customers have for their communities and their residents
with high-quality, next-generation websites. We consider it a privilege to partner with municipalities to provide the individuals,
families and organizations of your community a website that serves as a primary, interactive communication tool.
CivicPlus is a division of Icon Enterprises, Inc. Operating under the divisional names of Networks Plus and CivicPlus –
incorporated in Kansas in 1998 – they began providing technical-related services in 1994.
CivicPlus was born out of four rural cities’ desire for a progressive way to maintain their websites without the burden of
employing a continual webmaster. They sought a system that would allow routine updates and changes to be implemented by
city staff, regardless of technical skill. After close consultation with these four initial cities, an innovative tool that automated the
process of updating website content was developed.
Today, under the leadership of founder Ward Morgan, CivicPlus employs more than 70 staff members and continues to
implement new technologies and services to maintain the highest standards of excellence and efficiency. Our commitment to
setting the standard in website design, management and government communication has been instrumental in making
CivicPlus a leader in web design, programming, hosting and serving the communication market.
Our technical and development staff holds a variety of certifications including: Microsoft Certified System Engineer, Cisco
Certified Engineer, Microsoft Certified Software Developer, Microsoft Office User Specialist and Project Management
Professional from the Project Management Institute.
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Proposal for Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area
Carrie Broeckelmann
Regional Account Manager
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Proposal for Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area
Mike Smith
Director, Client Services
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Proposal for Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area
References
Geary County CVB, KS www.junctioncity.org
(Pop. 24,500) Client since June 2007
Rick Dykstra, Asst. Director, 785-238-2885, rickdykstra@junctioncity.org
Harrisonville, MO www.ci.harrisonville.mo.us
(Pop.10,000) Client since November 2006
Jeremy Smith, IT Director, 816-380-8904, sysadmin@ci.harrisonville.mo.us
Sheryl Stanley, PR Coordinator, 816-380-8909, sstanley@ci.harrisonville.mo.us
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Proposal for Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area
Our project-development approach focuses on collaboration. Each step in the process is consultative, with our staff working in
partnership with each client to provide a website that adheres to the Three Factors of Effective Government Websites. Our
efficient and thorough project timelines transform your website goals into reality, resulting in a valuable, next-generation
communication resource for your residents, business and staff.
Objective I Phase 1
Understanding Your Audience and Establishing Your Site’s Focus Analysis and Timeline Development
Phase 2
Website Design
Phase 3
Navigation Architecture
Phase 4
Modules and Site Setup
Objective II Phase 5
Content Development and Page Layout Content Development
Phase 6
Review and Testing
Objective IV Phase 8
Website Deployment Go-Live and Project Review
Phase 9
Marketing
Phase 10
Ongoing Consultation
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Proposal for Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area
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Proposal for Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area
Copyright authorization and/or photography production are required unless you already have quality, useable photographs.
Additional fees assessed for stock photographs or other images are not included in the estimate.
Intuitive Usability
Simple navigation and consistent page layout structured with your input and guidance will be used throughout the site to
ensure your visitors will easily find the information they seek.
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Proposal for Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area
www.sewardcountyks.org www.greatbendks.net
www.mexicomissouri.net www.ci.missoula.mt.us
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Proposal for Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area
Additional functionality modules are available. You ultimately control the functionality that your site offers -- and the cost -- by
selecting which modules to showcase. Review and testing during the project development ensures that you are taking
advantage of our expertise in web communication as well as meeting your specific communication goals.
And with CivicPlus, you will receive upgrades and enhancements made to our
system -- automatically and at no additional cost -- throughout your contract. This
“My favorite thing about our
ensures your site is constantly evolving to meet the ever-changing needs of your website is the ease of
web audience without the hassle of additional budgets or annual upgrades. maintenance; it’s so easy to
make updates to the pages and
Design Review the modules. It is easy to keep
Immediately following design approval and functionality development, we conduct a your site fresh when it is easy to
review to ensure your expectations are met and best website practices are upheld. update.”
- Laurene Saathoff, Cedar Falls, IA
Our design approach takes all of your suggestions and guidance into account to
“The CivicPlus designs really stood
determine the best design options for you and your new website. Incorporating the
out for us. Some sites you open up
functionality and usefulness of the site, designers work directly with you to establish and feel lost immediately, but you
colors, pictures, navigation and design options that best suit your community’s do not experience that with
communication goals and objectives for a uniquely created website. CivicPlus. Their implementation
of usability practice and the
sheer talent of their designers
combine to produce an
outstanding product that is both
clean and simple.”
- Wayne Nation Jr., Montrose, CO
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Proposal for Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area
Some important elements and themes which will help your site visitors include the following:
1 9
7
3
5 6
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Proposal for Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area
Initial Content
Reformatted Content
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Proposal for Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area
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Proposal for Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area
Training is done before your site is launched to ensure that once the site is live, your staff will have all the knowledge,
tools and comfort level to maintain the site’s integrity from day one.
Phase 7: Training
“CivicPlus training was great. You
Brainstorming about your internal daily tasks and workflow, CivicPlus consultants will dealt with all of the different
guide your staff to a better understanding of delivering automated services to your site knowledge levels of our staff
visitors. One-on-one or departmental specific task analysis is included as part of the perfectly.”
excellent service you can expect with CivicPlus. “Training went well, Harlan was
Administrative Features & Basics of Back-End Training great. He checked back with us and
made sure we got answers to all our
With a goal to create a basic understanding of navigation and page layout and how
questions.”
this affects target audiences, trainers will instruct your staff on creating area rights
and back-end features for site administration. “Quinton really provided us with a lot
of great information when he came
Module Training & Page and Menu Creation Training out here to train us. It wasn’t just
Trainers will review all the modules included with your site. Individual consultation for training but he shared a lot of know-
departments and service areas will be covered to facilitate baseline knowledge for how and that was great.”
your team.
Each session is created to promote a hands-on experience and create a lasting impression with your team. The skills, tips and
tricks are easy to understand and implement into your daily tasks. Each session is designed to enhance your team's
communication skills and highlight their individual specialties that emphasize your public value.
All training schedules are based on the needs of your employees and your selection of modules
Your training schedule may vary. Training manuals are available online and updated on a regular basis.
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• Monthly e-newsletter
• Automatic service updates
• CivicPlus online support
• Annual site reviews
• CivicPlus Website Management Webinar series
• Regional trainings and user groups
We are so confident that you will benefit from a partnership with CivicPlus that we provide a 100% satisfaction guarantee
throughout all phases of your project.
CivicPlus’ business strategy is based upon our clients’ successes. We continue to listen to our clients after the sale and strive
to constantly improve our service and our products.
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Proposal for Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area
In addition to fielding support requests, CivicPlus is proactive in identifying any potential system issues. Through regularly
scheduled reviews of site logs, error messages, servers, router activity and the Internet in general, our personnel often identify
and correct issues before they even affect our clients’ websites. Our expertise in website management provides assurance to
our clients that their site is in good hands.
Hosting
CivicPlus’ Network Operations Center is maintained specifically for website hosting and administration; ninety-seven percent
of CivicPlus customers utilize this hosting facility for their hosting and backup needs. Redundant power sources and internet
access ensure consistent and stable connections, and regular hardware upgrades ensure that CivicPlus-hosted sites are
maintained on the most up-to-date, reliable equipment. Full backups are provided as a regular service for CivicPlus-hosted
customers, with all servers backed up nightly and additional optimization processes run on a weekly basis.
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Proposal for Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area
Power • All systems are fed by Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPSs) with natural gas-powered generator backup
Monitoring • Round-the-clock (24/7/365) monitoring of all critical components, including: Internet connectivity, servers,
routers, switches and power systems
Intrusion Detection • Redundant Cisco ASA multi-service firewalls that combine intrusion detection with intrusion prevention
Server Requirements
Clients have the option to self-host. These requirements must be met:
• Microsoft Windows 2003 Server, Standard or Enterprise, 32 Bit.
• Microsoft SQL 2005 Enterprise, 32 Bit is recommended, however Microsoft SQL 2005 Standard, 32 Bit can be
supported.
• Server with at least 4GB RAM and 80GB of useable storage space. For better performance, IIS and SQL should run
on different servers.
• Additional software dependent upon modules purchased.
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Proposal for Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area
Each year, we invest approximately $400,000 in upgrades and enhancements to the CivicPlus system to meet your ever-
evolving needs. Some of the features of the CMS system are highlighted in the chart on the following page.
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System Requirements
The administrative side of CivicPlus websites support the following PC operating systems and browsers:
• Windows 2000 and higher
• Internet Explorer 6.0 and above
• Mozilla Firefox 1.5 and above
Macintosh operating systems and browsers are also supported:
• OS/X 10.1 and higher
• Mozilla Firefox 1.5 and above
Mobile Updates Immediately update your site from any location Crisis Communication – Warn audiences of crisis
with urgent announcements using your PDA. situations from anywhere at any time.
Specific areas of your website, e.g., Parks & Ease – Site visitors can find relevant information for
Sub-Site Recreation, Police or Fire, can provide their their area of interest by following a redirect link, e.g.,
own calendar and news items. www.yoursite.org/police
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Proposal for Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area
Project Timeline
Project Timeline
Needs Assessment and Timeline (may vary based upon on-site meetings 2-3 weeks from initial timeline
Includes: Timeline approval, statistics from current website due, department listing from client meeting
Site Development and Module Set-up (varies based upon development options)
3-4 weeks
Includes: Wireframe due
Training 1 week
Marketing 1 week
* Timelines are set according to your needs and may be modified upon discussion with your project manager. This timeline
represents our experience and is based upon the client meeting all deadlines. Many clients indicate a preference toward a
more relaxed schedule that allows ample time for each task and review.
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Proposal for Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area
Project Development Fee includes use of CivicPlus CMS with these Modules & Functionality:
Modules Functionality
• Archive Center • Action Items Queue
• Bid Postings (1 Category) • Audit Trail / History Log
• Business/Resource Directory • Automated PDF Converter
• Calendar • Automatic Content Archiving
• Carbon Calculator • Dynamic Breadcrumbs
• Document Center • Dynamic Sitemap
• Emergency Alert Notification • Expiring Items Library
• Facilities & Reservations (50 Facilities) • Graphic Link Administration
• FAQs • Links Redirect and Broken Links Finder
• Featured Info Module • Menu Management
• Forms Development Tool (5 Forms - Client develops) • Mouse-over Menu Structure
• Healthy City Initiative • Online Editor for Editing and Page Creation
• Intranet (1 Group) • Online Web Statistics (Only with CivicPlus Hosting)
• Job Postings (1 Category) • Page Wizard for Preformatted Page Options
• News Flash • Printer Friendly / Email Page
• Notify Me Email Subscription • Rotating Content
• Online Job Application (1 Generic Application) • RSS
• Opinion Poll • Search Engine Registration
• Photo Gallery (50 Photos) • Site Layout Options
• Postcard Module • Site Search & Entry Log
• Quick Links • Slideshow
• Real Estate Locator (25 Properties) • User / Group Permission with Author & Publisher Rights
• Request Tracker (5 Users) • Web Page Upload Utility
• Staff Directory • Website Administrative Log
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Proposal for Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area
As we develop your project, your development team may come up with more ideas for enhancing your visitors’ website
experience. These optional add-ons and the associated costs are shown below.
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Proposal for Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area
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Proposal for Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area
*NOTE: No surprise additional costs! After working with local government clients for 12 years, we understand it is very
important to stick with a planned, set budget for your website on a year-to-year basis. The Annual Support, Maintenance and
Hosting Fee helps you do just that by covering everything with one set fee. However, if you prefer to purchase a block of
service hours, we are happy to accommodate that request.
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Proposal for Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area
Through a minimum three-year contract, CivicPlus Advantage dramatically lowers the one-time project development and start-
up costs of launching a new website, combining one-time and recurring fees and spreading them over the life of the contract.
And because we value our continuing relationships with our customers, those who extend their contract beyond the three-year
minimum will receive a redesign at the end of their fourth year with CivicPlus – at no additional charge.*
Customers who choose the CivicPlus Advantage have the option to pay annually or monthly.**
CivicPlus Advantage 1st Year 2nd Year 3rd Year 4th Year
Annual Recurring Fees $9,959 $9,959 $9,959 $9,959
OR Monthly Equivalent $840 $840 $840 $840
Site Redesign (End of the Fourth Year) Equivalent to: $7,900
*Redesigns that include additional features not available on the original website may be subject to additional charges. Additional features
include, but are not limited to, additional modules, integration of third-party software or capabilities, additional design services beyond the
standard website redesign and custom programming for new site modules or features.
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Proposal for Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area
Conclusion
As your website committee narrows the search for a partner to create the website for Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage
Area, CivicPlus would like to be your partner of choice.
Our experienced and knowledgeable professionals are committed to creating the communication infrastructure that Freedom’s
Frontier desires.
• Your organization will have access to the most experienced staff in the municipal website management market, and
your project team will work with you to create a unique and engaging site that reflects your community.
• CivicPlus will remain a trusted advisor and support resource after the site launches – Freedom’s Frontier National
Heritage Area will have access to government communication experts.
• Your site will grow and change with you as industry trends and technology change. CivicPlus will ensure that your
website is on the cutting edge – ALWAYS.
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Proposal for Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area
2. Invoicing for Annual Support, Maintenance & Hosting will begin four months from the date this contract is signed by
the client, or upon project Go-Live whichever happens sooner.
3. Service will be discontinued if payment is not made within 30 days after the invoice due date.
4. Payments received will be applied first to finance charges, then to the oldest outstanding invoice.
5. If the Client's account exceeds 90 days past due, the web service may be temporarily removed from service until the
Client's account is made current. Client will be given 30 days notice prior to removal of the website for non-payment.
6. Provided the Client's account is current, at any time the Client may request an electronic copy on CD of the website
Customer Content. Client agrees to pay $225 per completed request.
7. Each year this Agreement is in effect, charges for Annual Support, Maintenance & Hosting services may be
increased by CivicPlus by no more than 5% per annum.
8. CivicPlus will provide unlimited telephone support Monday-Friday, 7:00 am – 7:00 pm (Central Time) excluding
holidays, for all trained Client staff. Emergency Support is only provided on a 24/7/365 basis for emergency contacts
named by the Client. Client is responsible for providing CivicPlus with contact updates.
9. Support includes providing technical support of the CivicPlus CMS System, application support (pages and modules),
and maintenance of Client’s website. Following initial setup, additional page design, graphic design, user training, site
modification, and custom programming may be contracted separately for an additional fee.
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Proposal for Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area
10. During the period of this agreement and subsequent annual renewals, CivicPlus warrants that it will, without
additional charge to the client, immediately correct any problems or defects discovered in the System and reported to
CivicPlus by the client, such warranty to include ongoing maintenance upgrades and technical error correction.
11. CivicPlus provides online website statistics software at no extra charge. If Client desires to use another website
statistic software, CivicPlus will provide the necessary log file access.
12. If applicable, Client agrees to work with the CivicPlus Marketing Department to gather information and meet
deadlines associated with website award contest entries throughout the term of this Agreement. Client permits
CivicPlus to include an example of the Client’s home page and a link to the Client’s website on the CivicPlus
corporate website.
13. Client will cooperate with the CivicPlus Marketing Department to create a news item to be released in conjunction
with their project Go-Live date. Client will provide CivicPlus with contact information for local and regional media
outlets. CivicPlus may use the press release in any marketing materials as desired throughout the term of this
Agreement.
14. Client will cooperate with the CivicPlus Marketing Department to create a case study related to their website.
15. Client agrees to allow CivicPlus to display a “Powered by CivicPlus” insignia and web link at the bottom of their web
pages. Client understands that the pricing and any related discount structure provided under this Agreement
assumes such perpetual permission.
16. This Agreement is not a sale of the CivicPlus Content Management System (CMS) and its associated applications
and modules (the Proprietary System). CivicPlus owns the Proprietary System and provides a right of use to the
Client during the period of this Agreement. Rights are non-transferable.
17. Upon full and complete payment of submitted invoices for the development of graphic designs, web content, page
designs and banners (“Customer Content”), client will own the Customer Content that is incorporated into the
Proprietary System in the course of using the Proprietary System.
18. Upon completion of the development of the site, client will assume full responsibility for Web site content
maintenance and content administration. Client, not CivicPlus, shall have sole responsibility for the accuracy, quality,
integrity, legality, reliability, appropriateness, and intellectual property ownership or right to use of all Customer
Content.
19. Client shall not (i) license, sublicense, sell, resell, transfer, assign, distribute or otherwise commercially exploit or
make available to any third party the Proprietary System in any way; (ii) modify or make derivative works based upon
the Proprietary System; (iii) create Internet “links” to the Proprietary System or “frame” or “mirror” any functionality on
any other server or wireless or Internet-based device; or (iv) reverse engineer or access the Proprietary System in
order to (a) build a competitive product or service, (b) build a product using similar ideas, features, functions or
graphics of the Proprietary System, or (c) copy any ideas, features, functions or graphics of the Proprietary System.
20. The CivicPlus name, the CivicPlus logo, and the product and module names associated with the Proprietary System
are trademarks of CivicPlus, and no right or license is granted to use them.
21. Client shall defend, indemnify and hold harmless CivicPlus, its partners, employees, and agents from and against any
and all lawsuits, claims, demands, penalties, losses, fines, liabilities, damages, and expenses including attorney’s
fees of any kind, without limitation, in connection with the operations of and installation of software contemplated by
this Agreement, or otherwise arising out of or in any way connected with the CivicPlus provision of service and
performance under this Agreement. This section shall not apply to the extent that any loss or damage is caused by
the gross negligence or willful misconduct on the part of CivicPlus.
22. CivicPlus will not be liable for any act, omission of act, negligence or defect in the quality of service of any underlying
carrier or other service provider whose facilities or services are used in furnishing any portion of the service received
by the customer. CivicPlus will not be liable for any failure of performance that is caused by or the result of any act or
omission by customer or any entity other than CivicPlus that furnishes services, facilities or equipment used in
connection with CivicPlus services or facilities.
23. Except as expressly provided in this Agreement, CivicPlus makes no expressed or implied representations or
warranties, including any warranties regarding merchantability or fitness for a particular cause.
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Freedom’s Frontier
National Heritage Area
Lawrence, Kansas
Website Redevelopment
Developed by:
Carrie Broeckelmann
Regional Account Manager
Broeckelmann@CivicPlus.com
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Additional Information for
Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area
CivicPlus Website Management System
Developed for organizations that have a need to update their site frequently, CivicPlus provides a powerful
content management structure and website menu management system. The system allows non-technical
employees the ability to easily update any portion of your website instantaneously. The CivicPlus Website
Management System utilizes Microsoft SQL Server, ASP, JavaScript, and HTML for web development.
No HTML knowledge is needed to update your website. If desired, HTML code can be used throughout the
website for advanced users.
With extensive web applications in place, continual enhancement and an easy-to-use interface, our clients are the
proud owners of their websites and are excited to be part of the CivicPlus community.
Additional benefits of the CivicPlus Content Management System include: webpage version controls,
customizable levels of user-rights, searchable data, accessible customer support services, instantaneous
functionality updates, comprehensive security, and much more.
Each website begins with a unique design developed to meet your specific communication and marketing goals,
while showcasing the individuality of your community. Features and capabilities are added and customized as
necessary and all content is organized in accordance with web usability standards.
Navigation Options
CivicPlus provides many different navigation structures and options. A few are presented here.
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Dynamic Layout
The layout for your website is determined by you and the designer. The placement of navigation and dynamic
areas are important in guiding site visitors to key information quickly and easily. Our consultants make
recommendations based upon website-user studies and research on best practices.
Dynamic Breadcrumbs
When a user visits your site, Dynamic Breadcrumbs are used to show their location within the website.
Breadcrumbs are automatically generated by the CivicPlus system. This feature assists a site visitor in
understanding the site structure and navigation.
Levels of Rights
User Group
Most information is constantly changing and Administration:
needs to be updated frequently. With Establish Module
CivicPlus, each department is capable of rights for the
updating their own content. Even though Human Resources
each department can update their Group.
department’s information and web pages,
the menu structure, top of page, banner and
navigation throughout the site remains the
same.
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Module,
Within each
granular security is also
provided. This allows
each category within the
have its own
module to
assigned to
user groups
update that
area.
Our unique Site Search Log offers tremendous value to decision-makers, informing them on what items are being
searched for on a frequent basis and giving insight into the best placement of this requested information.
The CivicPlus Website Management System captures and processes referrals to pages that cannot be displayed
(404 errors). The system allows the site visitor to make a note concerning how they reached this page. This
feature allows you to track down old links from other sites or your own website.
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Additional Information for
Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area
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Additional Information for
Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area
CivicPlus Basic Modules
Modules are constantly being developed that meet the needs of our clients. Modules are displayed according to
the client’s specifications. Custom modules can also be developed to interact with your site’s existing databases.
A partial list of our most popular modules follows.
Events Calendar
The calendar allows administrators to set up
calendar items and recurring events, and
this can be done for multiple months in
advance with short descriptions and
hyperlinks to display the details of the event.
The calendar recognizes the current date as
the starting date for the display of events
and also provides for easy navigation to Home Page’s Mini Calendar
future events. Multiple calendars are
available with customizable dynamic
categories/types of events.
Library’s Mini Calendar
Featured Events:
Unique to CivicPlus, the Featured Events
module allows you to highlight future events
that are not scheduled to display in the current
month, allowing you to draw attention to an
upcoming event months in advance. Calendar
supports multiple views, including a monthly
view that displays all events in a month.
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Additional Information for
Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area
News Flash
News Flash provides your website with an area on the home page where “hot” information is posted. Any
department may utilize News Flash for posting information that is very timely and short in length. The information
that may be posted here might include a change in meeting location, results from an election, rainout
announcement for sports fields, and more. News Flash is a dynamic page element that may be placed on any
page. Each News Flash item has its own begin and expiration date.
Staff Directory
Providing detailed contact information for your
staff and various offices, the Staff Directory is a
tremendously valuable resource for your
residents. This directory will decrease the
number of calls requesting contact information,
and you can include as much or as little
employee and department information as you
deem necessary. Plus, Staff Directory can be
linked to pages throughout your site, providing
quick access to a specific department or
employee.
Employee information can include title, bio, photo, and contact links via email or form submittal. Website users
can search the directory for a specific employee by last name, first name, and by department. Employee names
will also be found in the Site Search if they are in the directory.(E-mail addresses are blocked from e-mail
harvesting programs.)
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Additional Information for
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Opinion Poll
This module allows you to interact with your site visitors. Once they submit their
vote, they are taken to a screen that displays the total number of votes for each
choice. This is a popular module and is an easy way to keep people coming back
to see what’s new on your site.
Quick Links
The Quick Links module allows you to place links to related and often-requested information directly on the page
of your choice. The entire collection of these links is contained within the actual module, and is unlimited in the
amount of categories and links that you can provide to your users. The links can be to interior pages of your
website, to documents and forms, or to outside websites. You can organize the links by category or item and can
set them up to auto-publish and unpublish.
Document Center
The Document Center allows for a variety of file types, e.g., PDF, spreadsheets, pictures, video files, sound clips,
and more, to be downloaded or viewed by the end user. This allows easy access for site visitors. Instead of
bogging down your employees with requests for documentation, site visitors can locate the forms and documents
they need.
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Additional Information for
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Frequently Asked Questions
One of the benefits of being a CivicPlus hosted user is the addition of
modules and services. FAQ management was rolled out to CivicPlus
users at no extra charge.
Notify Me
With this module, visitors can sign up to be notified
via e-mail regarding community activities,
meetings, and services. Users can subscribe to
multiple lists at once, and unsubscribing is easily
accomplished by simply following a link from one
of the e-mails.
These features make Notify Me an excellent and valuable Emergency Communication Tool.
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Additional Information for
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CivicPlus Select Modules
Photo Gallery
The Photo Gallery module is designed to allow you to store
photographs in a central location as thumbnails and click on
them to see the full-sized image.
You can use the Photo Gallery to store and organize photo
files by department, division, and/or event. Like the Document
Center, you can store as many pictures in as many folders as
you like.
Archive Center
Unique to CivicPlus, the Archive Center was developed
specifically for minutes, agendas and newsletters. The
Archive Center allows you to sort and store date-sensitive
documents in various lists that allow your users to find the
specific document they are looking for easily and
efficiently. Archives can be searched by date, category, or
keyword.
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Additional Information for
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Forms Development Tool
Having online forms makes it easy for you to receive useful information from your community and for your
community to complete tasks online. These forms can be used as a means for citizens to contact you with
questions, requests and feedback, or to sign-up for various events and activities. You can create as many online
forms as you would like with this module. You can easily create forms from scratch or from a template of standard
online forms. Various field options include long answer, radio button, drop-down lists, multiple choice, etc.
Formatting options include font colors, background colors, text alignment, and more (although we do recommend
that you only utilize colors that match your site template).
With this module you can preview forms as you create and edit them instead of sending it to someone else for
changes. The Forms Development Tool lets you develop every aspect of your online form with no programming
knowledge necessary. You can create a new layout or use one of the templates we provide.
In addition to being able to create your own form, you can track your forms through your website! No more lost e-
mails and sorting for statistical data through multiple emails. Any form submitted on your website can be received
via email to as many people as you wish, and/or be kept in a backend database. This data can then be exported
to Microsoft Access, Excel, or other database software!
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Business/Resource Directory
Site visitors may use the Business/Resource
Directory pages of the website in order to find
information and links to related organizations. With
the Business/Resource Directory Module, site
visitors can search by business name or category,
and the businesses can also be organized as such—
by business (yellow pages style) or by category
(topical directory style).
Bid Posting
Bid Posting provides a simple and easy-to-use
method of posting bids online for those vendors that are
interested in providing products and services to your
community. You can provide as few or as many details
about each bid as you choose: provide links to upload
the full RFP package, link to related web pages, or post
other bid details like the scope of work. Bids can be
searched by category, title, or closing date and by open,
closed, cancelled, or awarded. Having this information
available online will reduce the amount of calls coming
into your purchasing, procurement, and finance offices,
and allow you to more efficiently control the bidding
process. As noted previously, this module can be
integrated with the Notify Me module, allowing site-
visitors to sign up to be notified when new bids are
available.
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Additional Information for
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Job Posting
These modules allow for jobs to be displayed on the website and removed automatically with an end date. It
shares all the same functionality as the Bid Posting module, allowing you to provide as many details as you like
and link to a number of files supporting the available job. Options in this module allow the site-visitor to download
a job application and email their resume to the person/department of your choice.
The website visitor can sort the jobs by date or job type. An interested person can sign up to be notified of new
jobs like the bid announcements. The new job is automatically e-mailed when a new entry is posted.
RequestTracker System
The RequestTracker is a powerful tool that facilitates inter-office communication and workflow concerning
requests reported by residents. Citizens create a profile then log in to submit a new request or complaint, view
pending issues, reopen a closed issue, request additional information, and more. Once a profile is set up, contact
information is automatically filled in when they submit a new request. Furthermore, problems reported over the
phone can be manually entered into the system for increased efficiency. Marketing the Request Tracker System
as the primary tool for communication on problems and requests in your area will allow you to reduce staff time
spent on addressing issues by hand, and it will allow your constituents to interact with your staff at any time of
day.
Another feature of the Request Tracker System is the ability to generate statistics and reports. Requests in
process are tracked through an exportable database, and you can easily view the number of reports for a given
issue, the frequency of reports from a given requester, and many other statistics. Searchable statistics include
total requests during a particular time period, average requests per day, average time to close a request, etc.
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Additional Information for
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Online Job Application System
We can
create
customized
templates for
this module to
fit your
community’s
needs.
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Additional Information for
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Info
Creates an additional space on a web page that allows you to highlight important text in a compact, easy-to-
update module. The information posted with this module can relate to one or more pages. You can organize
multiple posted items by category or item and set it to auto-publish/unpublish.
With Info, Online Editor allows use of your site’s pre-
set fonts and colors, as well as insertion of photos and
tables. Important information can be related to one or
more pages and organized by category, item, and
order in which information appears on a page.
Information can also be set to auto-publish/unpublish.
You can see Info in use on the City of St. Paul’s site,
where they have utilized this module to create a
Mayor’s Corner on the homepage.
Facilities
The Facilities Module allows the site administrator to display local facilities and their amenities, and to manage
their availability to the public. A site visitor can search the facilities, review the amenities for each, retrieve location
information and reserve the facility. Site-users can search by facility type or amenities available. Search results
will offer additional options such as admission requirements, handicap accessibility, and how to reserve or make
payments. Facility Module displays short descriptions with hyperlinks providing details of the facility (location,
contact info, photographs, 360 video, map, handicap accessibility, rental availability, etc.). In addition, your staff
will have the option to allow online reservation requests and to create calendars specific to a facility in order to
display approved reservations.
The Search Screen
The Facilities Listing
The Facility
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Additional Information for
Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area
Emergency Alert
Emergency Alert provides alerts and notices to your community, concerning local inconveniences like street
closures, road conditions, or critical up-to-the-minute information during a catastrophic event. Graphics can be
activated, which allows you to place an alert only on the street department page or site-wide for a major disaster.
Clicking on the graphic when there is no emergency takes viewers to a web page describing how the Emergency
Alert graphic will change in appearance during a real emergency, what constitutes an emergency, and next steps
that the viewer should take in the event of a real emergency.
When the Emergency Alert is activated, clicking on the graphic will lead citizens to a page(s) with as much
pertinent information that you wish to provide. You will have the ability to create pages with your local Emergency
Management Plan and leave them unpublished, then quickly publish them when needed.
CivicPlus can assist with emergency updates to your website. Your website will be the most valuable
communication resource during an emergency because it will always remain live due to our off-site hosting and
robust data security. Family, friends, and the media want to know what’s going on and how to help in the wake of
a disaster. CivicPlus can help!
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Additional Information for
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History Log
With this module you can easily track changes made to your website by all of your users. The History Log Module
allows you to track changes made to items in your Page Menu, Archive Center, Document Center and more.
History Log information is searchable, sortable, and exportable.
Site Search
On the public side of the site, we supply all our clients with a
robust Site Search with advanced search features. The
CivicPlus Site Search will search through web pages on
your site, PDF documents, any module entries, and
document files. Video and sound files are searched by
name. The site search organizes the results by the type of
information (calendar item, web page, Microsoft files, PDF
documents, etc.)
Website Statistics
In order to review how your site visitors are using the site, an
administrator will be trained on the use and analysis of the web
statistics. Important information can be pulled from this data in
order to make decisions about the use of the website.
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CivicPlus Additional Services
Intranet/Extranet
We can set up an Intranet for your site to be used by
employees or other groups that need to share non-public
resources. An Intranet is a secure location on your
website that allows employees to login and access
information specific to them.
RSS Feeds
RSS stands for Real Simple Syndication, and in short,
it’s a way of bringing your site to the people rather than waiting for them to come to your site to find out new
information. When a user signs up for RSS feeds, they will receive notification of the latest news items as they are
released without having to visit the website.
RSS begins with downloading a free reader, like those available on sites such as Google, MSN, and Yahoo, and
subscribing to the feed. Then, as often as the website is updated, the subscriber receives notifications of these
updates at their earliest convenience.
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E-commerce
The E-commerce module works on the shopping cart principle. Visitors can register for classes and activities
online, order records, or pay utility bills. A catalog of activities may be organized in a variety of ways. One of
CivicPlus’ e-commerce options is an outsourced service provided by mycart.net
E-commerce Recommendations
CivicPlus recommends that our clients phase in E-commerce in order to determine its feasibility.
¾ Phase 1 – use of a service-based E-commerce service for a catalog of items and services. Orders may
still be processed manually into your existing internal systems.
¾ Phase 2 – Integration of an E-commerce system with your existing systems.
¾ Phase 3 – Purchase internal systems that support and offer web-based interactivity for complete
transactions.
Bus Schedules
Parks
Walking Tours
Bike Paths
Trash Pick Up Schedules
Location of highways
Tourist attractions
Education Information
Major Employers
Demographics
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ADA Compliance
CivicPlus understands the need for ADA compliant sites and is committed to meeting these standards. In addition
to many built-in features, CivicPlus provides annual auditing as part of ongoing services to assist clients with
meeting standards as outlined by the “Accessibility of State and Local Government Websites to People with
Disabilities”. Many features that are a part of the CivicPlus system include:
All menu items are clickable. Screen-reader software (used by blind or visually limited individuals) will tab into
each link on your webpage, including the navigation.
Submenus display for every area of the website. Many sites only have mouse-over menus that when clicked
on, do not display the submenus in a left of right navigation area. These submenus are not accessible to blind
browsers. CivicPlus offers many different navigation structures.
Alt tags are used for all images. Alt tags provide the name of the picture when the screenreader reads them so
the person may visualize the picture or determine its importance.
Site maps are dynamically provided as new pages are added. Many visually-challenged visitors and other
visitors prefer to use the site map as their form of navigation.
All documents and links can be set to open in the same window. ADA guidelines state that
links/documents/etc. should open in the same window instead of a new window. Our system gives you the option
of providing either one.
Warranty
CivicPlus provides a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you are not satisfied with the service that CivicPlus provides,
then you may choose to terminate the contract at any time.
CivicPlus also provides a lifetime guarantee on our programming. If at any time there is something wrong with
your website (errors, bugs, etc.), then CivicPlus will fix it with no charge. This is part of our continual customer
service, and we are always striving to improve our product and maintain our customer satisfaction.
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