Mat-Su Borough set to launch new website

During the September 16 meeting of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough (MSB) Assembly, Leah Jones, IT Director for the Mat-Su Borough, discussed the new Mat-Su Borough website ahead of its official launch on September 29.

The new website, www.matsu.gov, is currently in a soft-launch, though Jones said that people can go to it and explore the site and the new features.

“This new website is built with the community in mind,” Jones told the Assembly, saying the site would be easier to use and faster to find information.

She explained a few key features of the new website, including citizen Services and Community hubs. Residents can now use the site to reserve a campsite at Jim Creek Campground in the Butte, apply for a permit in the Chickaloon Special Land Use District, and rent a room at the Trapper Creek or other MSB libraries, and more.

Users can access Top Pages to find relevant and curated selections of what’s capturing the attention at the moment. This page will highlight top pages from the past 30 days, trending content from the last seven days, and promoted picks—hand-selected by departments, seasonally spotlighted, or surfaced for relevance.

People can also use the Community hub to find more information about communities from Buffalo Mine/Soapstone to Farm Loop to Skwentna and beyond. Information including the square mileage and number of residents (as of the 2020 census) to the Road Service Area and the Community Councils.

The new webpage will continue to link to the current website. For example, if needing to find legislation the Assembly is working on, the tab will take you to the current MSB website.

Another new feature users will see is the a related term search, which the system is smart enough to guess what users are looking for, even if the wrong words are used.

Jones also said the new website will be accessibility-compliant and people can give their feedback on every page.

Another new feature for the website is that residents can also sign up for email or text updates from the MSB.

“More features and connected sites will be coming soon,” she said, adding that even after the website officially launches, work will continue.

She encouraged people to explore the site and offer feedback.

Assembly member Stephanie Nowers said she was excited to see the new website come to fruition and appreciated the amount of work that the IT Department has put in to develop the new website. She was particularly eager for the notification system users can utilize.

“I really like that we’re working on the email notification portion. I’m so glad to see that come forward because I know that it’s something we’ve been talking about as a way for people in the community who are interested in particular topics to keep up on things without having to scan through every bit of our (current) website or scour agendas.”

Jones also discussed the new-to-launch MSB Elected Officials website, which is also set to launch on September 29.

“We’re launching this new online platform to help residents better connect with their elected representatives,” Jones said. She further explained that the site will offer a clear and engaging way for citizens to learn about the assembly members, why they serve, and what matters most to them.

The new website will also highlight items within the assembly’s district, including key locations and/or initiatives within their district.

The site will also assist users in finding their elected officials as well as an interactive viewer to find their polling locations, allowing people to get their information in one stop.

Jones did ask for the Assembly’s assistance in making sure the members submit their biographies, photos, and spotlights ahead of the website’s launch.

MSB Manager Mike Brown did clarify that the current website and email address will not be going away with the launch of the new website and domain.

MSB Mayor Edna DeVries praised Jones for the new Elected Officials website, specifically the information contained that will includes road service and fire service areas within the different districts, community councils, and the details that will be available to users.

“Many times when people contact us, they don’t know the information, so this will be really nice. It’s very good.”

To learn more about the new MSB website, please visit www.matsu.gov