Stearns County Wins Top Honors for Government Website Transformation

(KNSI) — Stearns County is the winner of the inaugural Civic Experience Award.

According to a press release, the county was honored for its two-year digital transformation, creating access to government information and online offices. Stearns County beat Rock Hill, South Carolina, and Chesterfield County, Virginia.

Stearns County Digital Services Manager Jennifer Burger submitted the winning application writing;

“In the shadow of a global pandemic, with widespread lockdowns and closed government offices, it was more important than ever that Stearns County empower our community by providing information and services to more residents in more ways. At the same time, we needed to update processes and improve efficiencies for County staff who faced drastic changes in their daily work, so they could continue to serve the public. Over the last two years, we’ve launched a suite of digital services that help us achieve these objectives and improve the overall civic experience.”

The county’s transition included a CivicPlus website with AudioEye accessibility monitoring, the CivicPlus Chatbot, and several online forms that allow residents to quickly and securely submit information and requests to various departments.

CivicPlus says it created the awards to recognize its customers working to improve people’s experiences with the government.

Watch the winning video by clicking here.

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