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By SCOTT MIMS / Staff Writer

COLUMBIANA — City leaders hope Columbiana’s new website and YouTube channel will allow unprecedented ease of access to residents and those seeking information about the county seat.

The website, Cityofcolumbiana.com, has links to livestreams of City Council meetings as well as minutes, agendas and other relevant information. While the city is still in the process of adding information to the site, Mayor David Mitchell believes it is headed in the right direction.

“We want a website that’s easy to navigate, and we want a website to where information that is important, timely and relevant to the people in Columbiana is easily accessible, and I think we’re getting there,” Mitchell said. “We’re trying to make it as easy and obvious as possible for people to navigate and find the information that they want. The functionality and capability is there; we’ve got to get it populated with the right information, and that just takes time.”

The city first livestreamed its Council meetings on Facebook but has since established its own YouTube channel. The channel is available from the city’s main website by clicking on the YouTube logo near the bottom of the page.

Director of Community Affairs Ali Payne said the website’s builder, CivicPlus—which also built Shelby County’s website, Shelbyal.com—specializes in building websites for local governments.

Visitors to Cityofcolumbiana.com will immediately notice an eye-catching banner across the middle of the screen that displays a rotating slideshow of current information like the upcoming Liberty Day weekend.

Another benefit of the site is that it is American Disability Act accessible. For example, a blind person could hear an audio version of the screen display, Payne said.

“I think it will be a lot more user-friendly,” she said. “You won’t have to dig to find information; it’s more easily accessible.”

For more information, visit Cityofcolumbiana.com, the city’s Facebook page or its YouTube page. City Hall may be reached by phone at 205-669-5800.