BATON ROUGE, LA — February 26, 2018 — In line with her commitment to transparency, technology, and digital citizen engagement, Mayor Broome announced this morning the launch of the City-Parish’s new website, BRLA.gov. The new site replaces the former BRGov.com – a website that was more than 17 years old – with a modern design, mobile-friendly platform, and streamlined navigation tools which efficiently connect users to critical information.
“Since taking office, one of my top priorities has been to revamp the way our City-Parish government does business by making it easier, more intuitive, and accessible for all residents to request services and find the information they need as quickly as possible,” said Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome. “The new BRLA.gov. addresses these needs through robust features, user-focused design elements, and key functionality that supports two-way communication with our residents. I am excited to share our new website with the residents of East Baton Rouge Parish, and invite all to access what we are referring to as our new digital front door for City-Parish government.”
Mayor Broome emphasized that the new site was designed with a focus on the end user, whereby content is optimized across the site for “on the go” users looking to engage with City-Parish departments or services on their mobile or tablet devices, with features such as intuitive search functions visibly placed throughout the site. Other key elements of the new BRLA.gov. website include homepage access buttons for commonly requested services, an integrated calendar function for residents regarding City-Parish meetings or events, and interactive tools such as Community Voice, which connects residents with planners regarding projects that may impact their homes, neighborhoods, or workplaces without having to attend a public meeting.
In addition, the site features notification functions powered by a system called NotifyMe, which allows residents to subscribe via email and/or text for real-time updates such as news alerts and new site content. The site also comes equipped with emergency alert capabilities, updating residents with real-time information about critical services, resources, and tips to protect their homes and families during times of emergency or disaster.
BRLA.gov. was designed by CivicPlus, a national web design and solutions provider for municipal governments with more than 2,500 local government clients across the U.S. The firm was selected via a competitive procurement through a request for proposals process. The resulting design and development work was overseen by the Department of Information Services.
Moving forward, BRLA.gov. will continue to grow and evolve through the introduction of additional modules and online services focused on more efficiently and effectively meeting the needs of the Baton Rouge community. For more information, view the attached website overview document or visit BRLA.gov. .