STRABANE District Council well and truly entered cyberspace this week, with the launch of their new website.
From yesterday (Wednesday), the general public could pay a bill, order a skip or pick up a dog licence via the new website. During the official website launch, councillors were also presented with certificates gained on completion of the CLAIT computer course.
Speaking at the event, Strabane District Council chairman Gerard Foley explained how council was embracing new technology to provide accessible and effective services.
"I feel that Strabane District Council is one of the most progressive councils within Northern Ireland in developing e-government processes. We are a relatively small council yet we were one of the first councils in Northern Ireland to introduce paperless meetings. We also have redesigned our website to make it more dynamic and user friendly. We want to provide a modern, accessible service to the public and the use of this technology helps us do it efficiently," said Mr Foley.
During the launch, Director of Delivery and Innovation at the Department of Finance and Personnel Bill McCluggage gave a keynote address and commended Strabane District Council in their moves to embrace the E-Government agenda.
Meanwhile, councillor Ivan Barr, now fondly referred to as 'Mr Broadband' within the chamber, also gave a light-hearted, personal account of his IT learning experience. He said that whilst he had undertaken a steep learning curve, he now uses email, paperless meetings and the website on a daily basis, jokingly adding "Some may say we may be among the oldest surfers in town".
The chairman congratulated his fellow councillors following successful completion of their new Clait qualification.
"Many councillors have been out of the class room for many years and I commend them for their courage in succeeding in a new skill and embracing this new electronic way of doing business. Our move to paperless meetings has been successful and I trust that our new website will make working with us as easy as possible. I am very proud of Strabane District Council for their progress in IT. We may be a small council but our progression in IT is ahead of the field."
