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Sydney Cromwell
New city website
Jeff Downes shows the demo version of the new city website, which will be launched at the end of the month.
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Courtesy of City of Vestavia Hills
City signs
New monument and pole signs will be installed throughout Vestavia to create a continuous design style and brand.
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Courtesy of City of Vestavia Hills
New city website
The new Vestavia Hills site, shown here as a demo version, will include a simple design that's easy for users to navigate.
A new look is in the works for Vestavia Hills, from the city’s streets to its website. As part of an ongoing branding effort, City Manager Jeff Downes said the city will launch a new website at the end of July and install new city signs in August.
The city will keep its same web address, vhal.org, but with a new look. Downes said the new site will incorporate the city’s redesigned logo and make it simpler to find information such as agendas or financial reports. Unlike the current site, the new website will also resize itself to fit any screen, from laptop to smart phone.
“Having a responsive website is critically important to getting your message across,” Downes said.
A new Financial Transparency Portal will be added to the website, so any visitor can see a complete breakdown of the city’s budget, revenue and expenses. The portal is customizable and residents can use filters to specify what data they want to see. The city will update the portal on a monthly basis.
Vestavia is also preparing to install new signs across the city. These will include a monument sign at the city’s Highway 31 entrance and pole signs noting different areas of the city such as Cahaba Heights or Rocky Ridge. Each sign will include the new city logo.
With the exception of the entrance monument sign, which needs ALDOT approval, the signs will be delivered in mid-August and Downes said installation should be complete before September.
“We’re trying to be conscious of how we portray ourselves publicly as a city,” Downes said. “So when you enter Vestavia Hills, you know you’re in Vestavia Hills.”
The total cost of the sign project is $50,000, and the Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce is donating $11,000 to the project.
