FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Pete Winton, Lee County Administration
              (239) 335-2777

LEE COUNTY WEB SITE GETS REDESIGN/EASE FOR USERS THE TOP PRIORITY

FORT MYERS, Fla. (October 8, 2004) - Lee County Government's award-winning web site has a new look starting today with the goal of making it even easier for residents and visitors to navigate through county information.

If you haven't yet discovered the county's web site, take a look at www.lee-county.com.

The new site includes bolder, larger links; a current events section; quick links for departments, services and new residents; a search engine for county information; and links to other agencies, cities and elected officials.

Lee County's web site has more than 168,000 pages of information for citizens as well as interactive/transactional capabilities. They include:

• Parks & Recreation registration online
• Library Card Catalogue online
• Check a building permit status online
• Department of Transportation "Requests for Action" - complete an online request for service
• Animal Services - check for lost/adoptable pets online
• Human Services Directory (searchable database of local agencies)
• Apply for a county job online
• Public safety/emergency preparedness information online
• Contact Your Commissioner - E-mail a question or comment
• The Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Code (searchable by keyword)
• Community Development - committee agendas, permit information, new zoning applications
• Financial documents - annual budget book, revenue manual, debt manual
• Weekly agendas and backup, board minutes, all ordinances and administrative codes
• News releases and capital project updates
• County Purchasing - vendor applications and complete quote and proposal packages

This year for the second year in a row, Lee County Government ranked in the top 10 in the nation for the amount and ease of information it provides citizens on its Internet web site.

The web site redesign was a joint effort of Atos Origin (the county's information technology vendor), Public Resources Division, and input from county departments. It also is the first step in a Content Management System that will make the storage and retrieving of information even easier based on a user's needs.