Lowell, Woburn, Hamilton and Sherborn were announced as winners of the MMA’s sixth annual municipal website awards during the MMA Annual Meeting & Trade Show on Jan. 20.
 
The awards recognize excellence in customer service, functionality, convenience and government transparency delivered by a municipal website. Awards are given in four population categories.
 
Lowell was the winner among communities with a population above 50,000.
 
Woburn won in the category for populations between 15,000 and 50,000.
 
Hamilton won in the 5,000-15,000 category.
 
And Sherborn was the winner among towns with a population under 5,000.
 
• Judges evaluated municipal websites from across Massachusetts based on the following criteria:
• Clear branding as the official municipal site
• Intuitive navigation tools and organization of material
• Robust search function
• Timely information
• Availability of public records
• Mobile-friendly or mobile-responsive design
• Resources for residents, such as ability to apply for licenses and permits, pay bills, order documents and offer suggestions
• Tools to promote economic development
• Information about departments
• Use of social media and tools for community engagement
• Visual appeal and overall experience
 
This year’s contest judges were Colleen Corona, a former selectman from Easton and a former member of the MMA Board of Directors and president of the Massachusetts Selectmen’s Association, and Dan Moore, a web developer and multimedia designer in Somerville.

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