(May 31, 2004) -- Although the official launch date is June 1, you can get a "sneak preview" of LB City Hall's snazzy new web site. We found it online shortly after midnight on May 31. Here's a quick screen grab:

www.longbeach.gov

And you can test drive it for yourself directly at www.longbeach.gov.

A written release quotes City Manager Jerry Miller as saying, "The City of Long Beach is committed to communicating with the residents, businesses and visitors. This newly designed web site is a critical component of that commitment. It uses leading-edge technology to improve the communication between the City and the people we serve. It is a significant step forward in meeting the Strategic Plan 2010 goal to improve the City’s communication with the community."

Curtis Tani, LB's Director of Technology Services [who put City Council archived video online last year] says in the release, "The new system allows the City to streamline the process of publishing new information on the website. We believe this benefits the public by offering more timely and accurate information."

Site enhancements include Guides for residents, business owners and visitors; drop-down menus for easy linking to City Officials, City Departments, City Services, a City Calendar and Frequently Asked Questions accessible from every page on the website.

A News Ticker posts upcoming events, an Announcement section provides important current info and Citynews provides key articles...and there's an e-mail subscription service, called "E-Notify" that lets individuals sign up to automatically receive important information on selected topics.

The upgraded site also promises improved search capability.

The release says the new software system and site redesign cost $175,000...and work on the upgrade began in spring 2003 with involvement by city staff from nearly every department.