Community websites / Built in Iowa
Help residents find answers, give staff time back, and keep your town’s official online presence dependable—without needing an IT department.
I’m Terri Schlak, an Iowa-based technology partner in Dallas Center. I build custom municipal websites around the people doing the work: from a small town’s first dependable site to complex resident services and fully custom community tools.
See the possibilities
Explore the municipal demo I built to see how an organized community website can feel to residents. Use it as a starting point for our conversation about your town’s needs.
This is a demonstration site, not a live municipal client. Your website will be tailored to your town, staff, and services.
Explore the municipal demo ↗A place for residents to begin—and a practical example to explore before committing.
Open the demo website ↗Less busywork. More service.
We’ll identify what takes your staff’s time, design what residents need to see, and build the workflow that connects them. Capabilities below are selected and configured to fit your scope; text messaging and other integrations may involve outside services.
The clerk’s challengeResidents need help finding the right department.
What residents seeClear task-based paths to common services.
Behind the scenesLinks guide residents to the right form or contact, helping reduce routine calls.
The clerk’s challengePaper entry and missing information slow staff down.
What residents seeSimple forms with required fields.
Behind the scenesValidation catches missing information before submission and routes requests to staff.
The clerk’s challengeMeeting records are hard to locate.
What residents seeA clear, searchable meeting archive.
Behind the scenesPublished records appear together, making transparency and access easier.
The clerk’s challengeAn urgent update needs to reach everyone quickly.
What residents seeA prominent notice across the site.
Behind the scenesOne staff update displays on every page for faster communication.
The clerk’s challengeResidents miss important announcements.
What residents seeSubscriptions to relevant community updates.
Behind the scenesConfigured email and optional text integrations deliver updates to subscribers.
The clerk’s challengeLocal businesses need more visibility.
What residents seeA useful directory of community businesses.
Behind the scenesApproved listings appear by category, supporting the local economy.
The clerk’s challengeScheduling requires too much back-and-forth.
What residents seeAvailable dates and a reservation request.
Behind the scenesAvailability checks and staff approval workflows reduce scheduling work.
The clerk’s challengeRepeated questions and rumors surround city projects.
What residents seeProgress, timelines, and project updates in one place.
Behind the scenesPublished milestones keep the project page current and residents informed.
The clerk’s challengeStaff worry about introducing accessibility barriers.
What residents seeConsistent, readable pages on mobile and desktop.
Behind the scenesStructured templates support accessible headings and content, helping lower risk.
The clerk’s challengeEvery small edit depends on a developer.
What residents seeTimely information from City Hall.
Behind the scenesAuthorized staff publish through a simple editor with training and clear permissions.
The clerk’s challengeOld notices remain online after they matter.
What residents seeRelevant notices with clear dates.
Behind the scenesScheduled expiration removes outdated notices from active displays.
A starting point for every town
These are starting prices for a custom build. Our conversation will clarify your content, workflows, integrations, timeline, and final pricing. Hosting, ongoing support, and third-party service costs will be discussed in your proposal.
Starting at$1,500
For towns with no dependable website.
Starting at$3,000
For towns wanting to reduce administrative work.
Starting at$4,000
For towns using the site for development and engagement.
Need something more complex or completely custom? We can map out a phased plan that matches your town’s priorities and budget.
A practical partnership
We review your current site, resident questions, staff workload, and priorities during a one-hour consultation.
You receive a defined scope and refined pricing. We discuss content, accessibility, integrations, and support before work begins.
We review the site together, prepare your staff to manage updates, and agree on the support you need after launch.
Let’s make a plan
No checkout or payment required. Choose a time to discuss your interest and refine pricing with me. Meetings are Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Central Time (America/Chicago, with daylight saving time). Every meeting lasts one hour, with at least 30 minutes between appointments.
Prefer to get in touch directly? Email Terri.