Pay a city bill. Find council minutes. Report a concern. Fill out a form.
Battle Creek residents can now do all of that from the front page of the city’s newly launched website.
The new site puts frequently used services — including online payments, agendas and minutes, forms, employment opportunities and a way to report concerns — within easy reach from the homepage. Residents can also sign up for notifications, search the site and keep up with city news and upcoming events.
The Battle Creek City Council selected CivicPlus in February to redesign the city’s online presence, with the goal of making city government and information easier to access.
“We’re excited to introduce this new website to the Battle Creek community,” Mayor Heath Mettler said. “Having a website that is easy to use and provides residents with timely information is an important part of keeping our community connected. We want this to be a resource that people can turn to when they have questions about the City, want to get involved, or simply want to know what’s happening in Battle Creek.”
The changes go beyond the homepage.
City information is now organized into dedicated sections for City Hall and administration, utilities, parks and recreation, street maintenance, the Lied Battle Creek Public Library, police, fire and rescue, economic development and planning and zoning. The government section includes information on elected officials, boards and commissions, bids and contracts and employment opportunities.
Residents looking for permits and other requirements can also find information on building permits, pet licenses and ATV/UTV permits through the site.
The website also gives the city a more direct way to keep residents informed. A Latest News section is featured on the homepage along with a community calendar, and users can create an account to manage notification subscriptions and save their progress on forms.
The site remains a work in progress. City officials said some information from the previous website has not yet made the move, while other pages are still being developed or updated. More information and resources will be added in the coming weeks and months, and residents are encouraged to let the city know when something is missing, outdated or difficult to find.
“We ask everyone to be a little patient with us as we make the transition,” Mettler said. “Our goal is not simply to have a new website, but to build a website that is genuinely useful to the people of Battle Creek as well as visitors. If there’s something you can’t find or something you think would be helpful to have on the site, we want to hear from you.”
The new City of Battle Creek website can be found at battlecreekne.com.
