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File photo outside of Lethbridge City Hall. (Lethbridge News Now)

Lethbridge council approves digital project to improve city’s online services

Jul 28, 2021 | 9:18 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The City of Lethbridge is aiming to improve its online services.

On Tuesday, council voted unanimously to approve the Digital Customer Service (DiCE) Program to a maximum $2.816 million through existing funding. DiCE will see the implementation of a new citizen portal, improved e-commerce experience and a website transformation with expanded online services.

The city says enacting the program will help meet council’s strategy, the Corporate Strategy, the Digital Transformation Master Plan and recommendations from the KPMG Fiscal and Operational Review.

Director of Corporate and Customer Services, Lisa Trent, stated that “technology has changed significantly since the last website enhancement and it is time for us to reimagine how we deliver exceptional online customer service and experiences for residents.”

“By leveraging new technology, best practices and analytics, we can deliver faster results to our residents, create internal efficiencies and find new ways to engage with the public about issues that matter to them.”

The City of Lethbridge website is built on technology that will not be supported past April 2023, with officials saying, “it lacks functionality that is becoming standard in modern municipal websites.”

General Manager of Information Technology Services and Digital Transformation, Trevor Butler, said “the DiCE program will bring together several technology improvement projects to create a solution that is customer-centric and provides a more personalized experience that will continue to evolve with the community.”

The City of Lethbridge will expedite the implementation of the system during a 12-to-18-month timeframe, using a combination of external and internal resources. Funding for the project will use existing technology lifecycle funds and is consistent with the May 3, 2010 city council resolution of funding the existing website.

The current City of Lethbridge website can be accessed here.