Streamlined Borough Web site

PALMER—A 12-year-old hiker throws up her arms, uplifted by her surroundings at Hatcher Pass. In its mineral blue waters, Lower Reed Lake throws the Talkeetna Mountains at odd angles. Soft dirt trails cut through a treeless expanse of green.

Welcome to the redesigned Homepage of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. The photo will be one of a handful that rotates on the new Homepage www.matsugov.us

"Our new Web site grabs your attention," said Matanuska-Susitna Borough Manager John Duffy. "You can see and feel how dynamic a place this is," Duffy said.

New to the site is a clutter-free look. Just one local navigation menu lines the left of the page. A concise global navigation bar runs across the top. Previously, navigation options ran down both sides of the page, with incongruous subjects competing for your attention. The site has the same links as before but access to them has been streamlined.

"Lots of hands went into this new site, and they have done a fabulous job," said Chief Information Officer for IT Chris Nugent. "Expect much much more in the future," said Nugent, who is the driving force behind the overhaul.

Over the past six months the redesign of the site was negotiated by a committee of Borough employees from all the departments and most of the divisions. More than 8,000 pages and documents make up the Web site.

"This information architecture will better serve the public," Webmaster Jack Horner said. "We wanted to focus on services rather than on departments and on an outward appeal instead of an internal one."

Among the coming changes will be a direct way to notify those interested in Borough news or events. An automated email notification will go out to those who sign up for it for specific areas of interest. Also coming, are online forms so a person can fill out applications for jobs, and reservations for a ball-field and other requests online, instead of mailing it in. Also, see your photo on the Borough Web site. Enter the "MAT-SU—We Have A Great Story To Tell" contest. There are six categories of interest: coastal, mountain/inland, wildlife, recreation, agriculture, cities/towns. The contest offers fame, no monetary gain. Email photos to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.