Whiteside County unveils new, more helpful website

MORRISON – Whiteside County has updated and upgraded its website, to make it more user-friendly and informative.

And boy howdy, is it ever.

Not only is the new site easier to navigate, but it’s also darned pretty.

You can thank GIS coordinator Lauren Lee for the improvement.

She started pushing for it a few years back, when she realized her department, and its maps, were the second-highest search on the site, which hadn’t been upgraded since 2006, and people were finding it difficult to find things.

“We were trying to make it easier for people to find what they’re looking for,” Lee said. “It was time for an update.”

Now to find a GIS map, you just click on the icon. There’s also one for attending virtual court hearings via Zoom, or quickly accessing County Board minutes and agendas, property tax records or election information.

Want to vote by mail? There’s a link to request a ballot. Need flood information? There’s a link for that, too.

One truly helpful new option: the ability to sign up for email and text notifications of various things, such as calendar events, news releases, emergency alerts, bid opportunities, etc.

Some of the kinks still are being ironed out, but overall, it’s far easier to find and access information than it was on the previous site.

Go to whitesidecountyil.gov to check it out.