About Our Web Site

About Our Website

General Overview

The Public Communications Office provides strategic oversight for the City's website and provides staff support for the Council appointed Internet Citizens Advisory Group.

Learn more about the roles and responsibilities of website management.

Purpose Statement:

The City of Columbia’s website is a channel for conducting business and bidirectional communications with the City’s current and potential residents, visitors, employees and businesses. The City’s website is cross promoted through other city communications channels to provide timely, accurate and easy to obtain information about Columbia City Government, its programs, processes and issues facing it. The City will conduct business through its website as a supplement to other conduits for recruiting, scheduling, registering, permitting, routine transactions for city services, and purchasing of goods and services.

Website History

a brief history of the website
previous designs: 1998 | 1998+| 2002 | 2007

Accessibility & ADA Compliance

Extraordinary efforts have been taken to create and maintain a website that is accessible to everyone. The design of this website meets the standards outlined in the US Section 508 accessibility guidelines. In addition, portions of the website are routinely evaluated to ensure that changes to the website continue to meet Section 508 guidelines. To report accessibility issues please complete our online feedback form. Learn more about the City of Columbia's ADA compliance efforts.

Browser Compatibility

Our website was designed to function best under Netscape and Internet Explorer versions 4 and above. Some portions of the site may require only the latest versions of Netscape or Internet Explorer and will be specifically labeled as such. Please report any browser compatibility issues and we will try to address them in future designs of the website.

Website In The News

Since its inception in 1998 the City of Columbia's website has continued to evolve, throughout this period the website has found itself in the news over and over again:

Some city crimes can be reported online: Published: Wednesday, May 27, 2009, By Joe Meyer

City Council meetings to stream live on the Web: Published: Thursday, April 30, 2009
Reported by Annie Hildebrandt

City government’s Web site turns 10 today: By Kristina Sherry, Published: June 11, 2008

Columbia's Web site earned an A and received 15 out of 17 possible points for City Web sites with populations between 50,001 and 250,000. This is according to a study of city and county Web sites conducted by the National Policy Research Council. Trained viewers visited each Web site to evaluate 25 features in seven categories: usability, citizen responsiveness, accessibility for disabled visitors, information tools, online procurement, job opportunities, and interactive permits and payments.

New City Website in the Works Reported by Seunghee Lee and Edited by Victor Roberto, Published: Thursday, March 22, 2007

City redesigns its Internet Web site by MATTHEW LeBLANC of the Tribune’s staff Published Monday, March 12, 2007

City boosts visibility on the Internet by MATTHEW LeBLANC published Thursday, December 29, 2005 in the Columbia Tribune

City utilities take online payments by ELIZABETH KUSTA; published February 18, 2005 in the Digital Missourian

City hopes for payoff with online billing for utilities by CHUCK ADAMSON; published Sunday, February 13, 2005 in the Columbia Tribune

Government goes online by Josh Flory; published Saturday, June 21, 2003 in the Columbia Tribune

City staff wants more e-government by LIZ HEITZMAN; published Monday, June 2, 2003 in the Columbia Tribune

City seeks to promote image with new website by Justin Willet; published on Sunday, November 3, 2002 in the Columbia Tribune

City, county Internet sites becoming more polished by Didi Tang; published on May 5, 2001 in the Columbia Tribune

City Brings its website up to speed by Tim Higgins; published on Saturday, September 23, 2000 in the Columbia Tribune

E-governments hit the Internet by Pierrette J. Shields; published in 2000 in the Columbia Tribune

Council wants to revamp city website by Kathleen McLaughlin; published on May 14, 2000 in the Columbia Tribune