MUNICIPAL USE OF THE INTERNET:
A Perspective from the Village of Elk Grove
By RAYMOND R. RUMMEL, Assistant Village Manager, Elk Grove

Elk Grove Village is among the first Illinois municipalities to take advantage of the promotional and communication benefits available on the Internet. The village went online in July, and currently offers a "home page" on the World Wide Web that presents a variety of information useful for economic development marketing activities, including photographs and text.

Elk Grove's home page was designed with an economic development purpose: to attract businesses to Elk Grove and to facilitate communication between village hall and the business sector. Better communication links between local government and area businesses support business retention and promotion efforts, as well as stimulate the attraction of businesses into the village.

Earlier this year, Elk Grove began investigating the potential benefits of Internet access. We found that a home page presence greatly improves access to village hall by making information available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to anyone with a computer link to the Internet. And, the number of persons with access to the Internet is doubling every seven months. From an economic development standpoint, this immediate access is an invaluable avenue for the communication of information, regardless of time zones and working hours. In addition, the village can receive electronic mail (E-mail) from existing and potential businesses, creating an instant communication process even after working hours.

Global marketing may be the greatest use of the Internet. With a home page presence, computer users worldwide can quickly scan their screens to read text about and see photos of Elk Grove Village. This makes the village prominent in a global marketplace, enhancing its ability to convey the opportunities available for relocating businesses into our industrial park.

The home page was designed to appeal to businesses seeking to relocate. It includes photographs depicting the village's proximity to O'Hare International Airport, as well as the aesthetics of a local office park. Quality of life issues are also presented on the Internet home page with photographs of housing stock and the nearby forest preserve as well as descriptions of park district and library programs; a link to an elementary school home page (which displays the high quality of local education); and the automatic E-Mail page that transmits messages directly to our economic development officer.

Elk Grove managed to develop its Internet web page at low cost relative to the potential benefits. Itasca-based Integrated Technology Group, Inc., a computer consultant with an established relationship with the village, developed the home page using hyper text markup language.

Start-up costs for the project were minimal. The greatest expenses were computer hardware and; software purchases and the fee charged by a local Internet service provider. It costs the village about one cent every time an Internet user reviews our home page. We expect the village's home page will cost less than $1,000 annually to update and remain on-line.

Elk Grove's home page was kept relatively basic first until the degree of use could be determined, and until it was assured that the page operated properly. Once the initial set up was completed, additions and upgrades were developed and implemented. Links other home pages, including City Link, City Net, the Public Technologies, Inc., were developed so users "surfing the Net" would be able to locate Grove's home page easier. Future links to additional home pages are planned to widen the range of potential viewers. In addition, Elk Grove's Internet address be included in municipal advertisements and newsletters.

Currently, the village is inviting local business with a presence on the Internet to participate in a virtual business directory. Participating firms can have information about their Internet and e-mail address on the village home page, which will function like a virtual Yellow Pages Directory. Once users access the village home page, they can access the business directory of Elk Grove firms. By providing this service to businesses, a potentially global interface is created. Residents and corporations from the U .S. to Europe to Asia can readily communicate with local firms to learn about opportunities to relocate to Elk Grove or determine what goods or services are readily available.

It is clear that as telecommunication networks, develop, and the Internet infrastructure expands, data services will become indispensable to local govvernments. Paperless exchanges between administration, residents, community organizations, and businesses within the village as well as around the world, will create efficiency in government that was before impossible. The immediate availability of village hall will improve retention of local businesses, and global access will infinitely expand promotional campaigns.

September 1995 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 13

Based upon our experiences, we would suggest that any municipality contemplating an Internet home page consider the following:

First, the home page must have a focus. The amount of information that can be presented on the Internet is infinite. Elk Grove's focus for the use of the Internet is in the area of economic development. Other municipalities throughout the world use the Internet for tourist attraction and travel information (travel sites, destinations, hotels, etc.), general information about the community (like a municipal newsletter), to address frequently asked questions of residents, or even to list municipal board agendas and meeting times. Clearly, one must focus the kind and type of information placed on the Internet for it to be utilized as an effective resource.

Second, consideration must be given to the cost of maintaining information on the home page. If frequent updates to the information must take place, additional staff resources will be devoted to the home page and away from other areas. Elk Grove has placed mostly file information on the Internet that requires updating about once per year. This is a low maintenance approach that limits the number of changes needed to the information we have on the Internet.

Third, consideration must be given to the use of an Internet service provider and the costs associated with that provider. A service provider allows customers to utilize the provider's computer related equipment to post a home page on the Internet. In this manner, the customer does not dedicate a computer to Internet use nor does the customer have to fear hackers ever accessing a municipal computer system. On the other hand, there are costs associated with the use of a service provider which must be considered before entering into an agreement with them. Possible low cost service providers include the local library, school districts, cable television company, or chamber of commerce; however, these sources may not provide the same level of service as a private sector service provider.

The Village of Elk Grove invites anyone wishing to view its home page to set their Web browser on our address (http://www.elkgrove.com). For more information contact Raymond R. Rummel, Assistant Village Manager, at (708) 439-3900.

Page 14 / Illinois Municipal Review / September 1995