Municipal Web sites have great Net worth

Anyone who has visited Hazlet’s municipal Web site recently was in for a treat. With a fresh look and a wealth of new content, the township’s site has moved from about average to one of the better examples in our coverage area.

What makes a good municipal Web site? On the most simple level, those that save the most phone calls and trips to town hall are the best. More and more, we’re seeing township permits, ordinances, meeting agendas, event calendars, contact information and the most commonly requested items brought to our homes electronically.

Over the last decade or so, the Internet has exploded in prominence to become arguably as important of a utility as the telephone, radio or TV. The local governments that haven’t grasped this are falling behind the times. That said, the towns in our coverage area are fortunate enough to have some pretty good sites. Today, we’ll take a look at them:

Aberdeen

www. twp.aberdeen.nj.us

It’s primitive looking and somewhat confusing to navigate, but serves its purpose. None of the links on its masthead function, but if you scroll to the bottom and click on its site map, you’ll find a useful index. Plenty of permit forms, meeting agendas and municipal tools are at residents’ disposal. Some of its content is rather dated — on the “What’s new on the Site” link, for example, it offers a spring 2004 newsletter. Grade: B-

Hazlet

www.hazlettwp.org

It has been said that the best Web sites can direct users to what they’re looking for in a matter of three clicks. Hazlet’s certainly passes that test. Its content is very fresh — glancing it over on Friday, we found a Township Committee agenda from a few nights earlier was complete with how members voted on each item, as well as a catalog of recent meeting minutes. The site has a warm, friendly look and plenty of recreation and community event information. It has slightly fewer online forms than some others, but its overall content is certainly helpful for residents. Grade: A-

Holmdel

www.holmdeltownship.com

In terms of saving a visit to the township clerk’s office, its one of the best. Beyond your basic permit forms and paperwork, you can use the site to print out public record requests, register to vote or even switch party affiliations. The design isn’t awfully imaginative, but it’s super easy to navigate and very useful. Grade: A-

Keyport

www.keyportonline.com

The sounds of crashing waves and chirping seagulls greet you as you load this site, which is the area’s best looking by far. But beauty sometimes is only monitor deep. Maintained by the Keyport Business Alliance, the site serves a dual role as municipal guide and an enticing tourism tool. Its attractive home page separates content into four basic categories — for residents, businesses, visitors and investors. But three of those four probably stand to gain more by visiting the site. Its content is thin in terms of municipal information. Meeting agendas were available, but we were unable to find much that could save residents trips to town hall. Grade: B

Matawan

www.matawanborough.com

Virtually every useful link on this site leads to nowhere. Case in point: A prominent announcement on the home page alerts residents that the due dates for dog and business licenses are coming up. But click on the links for these forms, and you’re taken to nothing but blank white pages. It gets worse. Go to the Police Department link, and you wind up at a commercial search engine with quick links for online gambling, divorce lawyers, used car loans and more. Grade: C-

Middletown

www.middletownnj.org

This site has perhaps the deepest well of information of the six. One simple, very helpful feature is a community calendar filled out with links to every public meeting and all kinds of recreational events. Its look is nothing to e-mail home about, but the site is obviously updated frequently. The township offers links to many other related sites, like an entertaining Historical Society page featuring great photos and stories of Middletown past. Grade: A