Vandergrift considering its options in getting a borough website up and running again
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Vandergrift officials are hopeful they will fix ongoing website woes.
The borough hasn’t offered a functioning website for the public since February.
Visitors to the site encounter an oversized message stating the site is no longer being updated or maintained.
“We’re hoping we can move forward on getting this website open and operating,” council president Kathy Chvala said during Monday’s virtual meeting.
Jim Rice of New Kensington will submit a bid on reinstating the site.
Rice, 71, owns ASDM Networking. He has worked for the borough since the 1980s maintaining some of its computer systems.
He said he read about the borough’s website situation in a Tribune-Review story.
“I’ve requested that council allow me access to the existing data,” Rice said. “I need to know how it was designed. There are dozens and dozens of applications that help you develop a website.”
He said he hasn’t been able to access the website yet, and he needs to do that before he can determine what must be done and come up with a cost.
He said building a quality website with lots of content can cost anywhere from $10,000 to $15,000.
Rice said the website is a public tool that people need to be able to use.
“I didn’t understand why it was down,” Rice said. “It was a nice website. It had a lot of content.”
Council president Kathy Chvala said the website was named Best Website last year in the 5,000-7,000 population category by the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs.
The website had been maintained by Chvala’s daughter, Jackie Vigna.
Vandergrift resident Marilee Kessler, who is running for council, said she would like to see public input regarding decisions about the website.
“I think there should be some vetting of Mr. Rice just to make sure that he has the skill set necessary,” Kessler said. “Perhaps there should be a public bidding procedure. I would like to know his qualifications and know that this will fit the needs of the borough.”
Vandergrift Heights resident David Hill said it’s hard to get any borough information because of what he called strained relations among some council members and the lack of a website.
“If you care about your borough, you should try and get along,” Hill told council.
The ongoing federal lawsuit filed by Councilwoman Karen McClarnon filed last summer seems to have resulted in increased tensions among some council members.
Among the defendants listed in the suit are Chvala and council members Christine Wilson, John Uskuraitis, Tom Holmes and Lenny Collini.
McClarnon made a motion Monday that was approved by council, requesting that future minutes and agendas be posted to the borough Facebook page.
Previously, minutes and agendas were posted on the borough’s website.
“No one is getting agendas. How are constituents getting the agendas?” McClarnon asked council.
Kessler said she’s been frustrated by the lack of information made available to residents.
“I’m happy to hear they will be on the Facebook page,” Kessler said. “My only concern is that they post them in an easily reachable fashion.”