During its 95th annual conference on Wednesday afternoon, the League of Oregon Cities (LOC) presented its 2020 Good Governance Award to the city of Hermiston for its Capital Improvement Plan website. The award recognizes progressive and innovative city operations and services.
The website – hermistonprojects.com – is an interactive website that keeps residents up to date and informed about the city of Hermiston’s long-term street, water, and sewer upgrades and upkeep.
Projects in the city’s five-year Capital Improvement Plan can be sorted on the site by department, status, or location to better understand how utility fees are being spent to maintain utilities and infrastructure. Each project page is updated with milestones and photos as work is underway, and final costs and descriptions are added when the job is done.
By turning the 200-page document into a user-friendly website, residents can learn about the unseen work of utility upgrades, expected timelines of major projects, and upcoming work that may close roads or affect utilities. The site also acts as a library of past projects as new work is planned. The website is updated regularly and will grow with the city of Hermiston.
LOC officials called it “a valuable tool for understanding the process and true costs of development.”
