Photo by Linda Comins The city of Wheeling’s revamped website is now “live,” with new features designed to benefit residents, business owners and visitors. The home page displays a rotating collection of scenic photographs of familiar sights.

The city of Wheeling’s revamped website went “live” Tuesday, with new features designed to benefit residents and visitors alike.

Tom Connelly, the city’s director of planning and development, and Jesse Mestrovic, director of parks and recreation, introduced the updated website — located online at www.wheelingwv.gov — at city council’s noon meeting. The two city employees have been working on changes to the website for more than a year.

Menus at the top of the home page are labeled Departments, Government, Business, Community, How Do I … and Wheeling 311. Action buttons are located at the bottom of the home page. Links also are offered to the city’s social media sites.

Connelly said new features on the site include a link for mapping that is connected to the city’s geographic information system. These maps can inform residents of their wards, zoning districts and garbage collection schedules, he said.

The Wheeling 311 feature, to be launched later this month, will allow residents to request city services by cellphone, Connelly said. Residents also can opt for alerts to notify them of waterline breaks, water boil orders and other emergencies.

New features are designed to allow residents and business owners to learn information quickly and to use city staff members’ time in a more efficient manner, he added.

Community resources include a calendar that lists governmental meetings and activities within the city.

Mestrovic said he is proud of an interactive map, developed with assistance from a student at West Liberty University, that provides information on parks, playgrounds and sports leagues. The goal for the website is “to try to make it more user-friendly,” he said.

Connelly said complaints and concerns posted on the website can be directed to the head of a specific department, then forwarded to the appropriate staff.

“It’s very easy to use,” he said of the site. “Every person (department head) has at least one person who can manage their page. It’s simple.”

In the future, Connelly said, “The pages can only get more robust from where they are today.”