It's all business you never would have had in just a walk-in store. About 18 months ago, executives at the Digital Equipment Corp. office in Palo Alto, Calif., wanted to do something special for the city's centennial. Working with city officials, they developed the nation's first interactive municipal World Wide Web site. Officials call that honor particularly appropriate in the Silicon Valley stronghold, where half the population has access to a PC at home or at work. Over the past year, the Web site has become a one-stop source for just about anything anyone might want to know about Palo Alto.
Residents can obtain public-meeting agendas, train schedules and annual reports.
There are also hypertext links to the chamber of commerce and the city historical association. Assistant City Manager Bernie Strojny says the Web site hasn't yet brought in revenues. Right now, we're seeing it as a service. We've opened the community's eyes as to how the Internet can be used. But eventually, he says, after the legal and security issues have been resolved, the city hopes to let residents apply for permits, register for classes and conduct other city business online, saving costly staff time.