Fox Lake unveils new website

Even Fox Lake Mayor Ed Bender said he had seen enough of the tired, old village website.

“I felt like we were in the ‘80s working with that thing,” Bender said. “I look at it now like we have moved into the 21st century.”

Fox Lake unveiled its new website at foxlake.org, and instead of the text-only approach the site used to feature, the new version comes complete with pictures, links and other programs people have come to expect, Bender said.

“It really is a slick sight,” he said. “For us, it’s so much easier to use. Everyone seems to really like it.”

The cost of the new website is about $8,000 for the first three years, then it drops to a fee for maintenance to keep the site updated, Bender said.

Two village employees have been put in charge of the website and will update it as needed.

The new website provides links to all meeting minutes and agendas village residents need, but also allows residents to sign up for the village emergency connect system, to pay bills online, and will even notify residents of potentially important news.

“We wanted to change the website about two years ago, but money was tight and we couldn’t move forward with it,” Bender said. “Now, we had some funds available and decided it was the right time to update the website.”

Department heads have been asked to start putting information on the website to keep residents informed of happenings in the village, he added.

“We are also going to add a village facts area and frequently asked question portion to make things easier for residents,” Bender said. “It took longer than we expected, but at least we got it done and are now in the 21st century.”