As of Feb. 1, Pierce County has a new look and a new address in cyberspace.
The welcome mat is out, but visitors to www.piercecountywa.org are cautioned to watch out for stepladders and paint buckets.
“The finishing work will continue for some time on the design, services and other elements,” said Ron Klein, director of communications. “But we are proud of what has been accomplished to this point.”
Site visitors can click on and enjoy the scenery, obtain valuable information or conduct business with county offices.
“The best part is that whatever the reason for your visit, you can do it simply. The site was designed to be user friendly. From the front page and throughout the site, everything you need is at your fingertips,” Klein said.
“You type or simply click on what you’re looking for, and the information is brought to you. You don’t have to waste time searching through indexes or pages.”
The county hired the Rusty George Design firm of Tacoma to create a new package for the site’s content. Pierce County launched the original site (www.co.pierce.wa.us) in 1995 at the Puyallup Fair’s computer technology exhibit.
Klein and his team will be working with the county’s computer technicians continually to add features and update content.
“Web sites by definition are works in progress,” he said.
The new look provides consistency throughout the site. It also is the public’s first look at the image that will brand the county as its communications are streamlined in coming months. The county’s newsletter, CountyLine, will carry a similar look starting with the February issue, for example.
What can you do on the Web site? Most visitors will be looking for information, and there is a lot of it. Whatever you want to know about Pierce County, Washington or its programs and services, Klein is betting you can find it.
You may not need to know that counties named Pierce also are located in four other states, but that’s true. You can find the information on the site. There also is information that you can use, such as that provided by the Master Gardeners Program.
You also can map your way to any address. You can apply for some building permits and pay for them online. You can check court calendars and dockets.
“Our goal is that citizens be able to do any county business online that they could do at the counter in our buildings,” said Lyn Fowler, outreach and education manager.