Navigating the Douglas County website for public information
just got a little easier.
County commissioners launched a new link from the county home
page entitled “Transparency Portal” with shortcuts to oft-sought
public information. The portal is the result of reaction from
residents who report that finding what they’re looking for on the
Douglas County government website is not always easy to find.
“We’ve gotten feedback in the last couple of years from citizens
who’ve said they’re having trouble finding things,” said Wendy
Holmes, Douglas County director of public affairs. “We’ve been
trying to create ways for people to more intuitively find
things.”
The transparency portal contains little in the way of new
content but provides links to information already featured on the
county website. The portal provides links to the county finance
page, with annual and archived financial reports, land-use reports
for those interested in proposed developments, and a tab for public
meetings from commissioner meetings to the county’s virtual public
notice display case.
“These are key elements at the root of why county government
exists,” Holmes said. “This is just a one-stop comprehensive
location where anybody can find information about the business of
county government.”
One feature that might be new to regular visitors is a link to
the county’s state and federal lobbyists. The county has an
in-house lobbyist and retains contract lobbyists to represent local
interests. The lobbyists who work on behalf of Douglas County keep
an eye on legislation that could impact economic development,
natural resources and transportation.
The transportation portal provides links to information about
the present lobbying groups that represent Douglas County,
including a link to the secretary of state site where lobbyists
must file their income and expenditure reports.
The portal helps meet a goal set this year by the board to
increase transparency of the county government process, said Steve
Boand, 2010 chair of the Douglas County Board of County
Commissioners. The hope is to encourage greater participation in
county business that impacts the public, Boand said.
“We believe that trust in government is earned,” Boand said. “We
can only maintain that trust people can watch or participate in the
decision-making process on a real-time basis. Douglas County's
newest element in transparency is aimed toward making it easier for
people to locate both background and current-issue information.
To view the Douglas County Transparency Portal visit the county
website at www.douglas.co.us
and follow the transparency portal link on the left side of the
page.
“This is just a one-stop comprehensive location where anybody
can find information about the business of county government.”
Wendy Holmes, Douglas County director of public affairs, on the
county’s new online transparency portal.
