SPANISH FORT, Ala. — Revamping the city’s official website has proven to be more time-consuming than expected, but city leaders are confident the time and consideration being taken will pay substantial dividends.

“We’ve been meeting every week for months, and we’re just biting it off in small pieces, trying to be very cautious in what we want out there,” said District 5 Councilwoman Mary Brabner, who leads the committee responsible for the project.

Kathy Estadt with Daphne-based Fresh Focus Group said collaborators are making substantial progress that she said will be a “great improvement” over the existing site.

Specifically, the group has identified five key marketing objectives and new content — being written personally by members of the committee — is being compiled to better address the needs of current and new residents as well as visitors and businesses.

“When we’re done, it will be a virtual City Hall with answers for just about everyone on everything. We are also planning to make it beautiful to reflect the beauty of our city and its location on the delta,” Estadt said, noting photos taken by local residents will play a key role in the site’s design.

Fresh Focus Group is tasked with designing and marketing the site, while Robertsdale-based Business Information Solutions will handle site maintenance once it’s complete.

No timetable has been set for the site’s launch.

BIS founder Phillip Long said the benefits of the revamped website will actually be two-pronged.

“For citizens, a lot of pertinent information will be readily available at any hour of the day or night, right there at their fingertips, but the other side is when somebody in Somewhere, USA decides to look for a new place to live or to relocate their business, Spanish Fort will have this nice representation that reflects who they are and what they’re all about,” Long said.

He also said working with the city has been a pleasure and a testament to the relationships BIS is able to continue forging after 10 years in business.

“It’s rare to find projects that are ultimately going to benefit all of Baldwin County, but things like this — where we really appreciate having the support of the community — are ultimately going to attract more residents and businesses. It’s good for everybody,” he said.

Brabner said the most crucial feature all parties involved agree on is that the new site should be informative and user-friendly.

“It’s slow, and I think it’s slower than any of us thought it would be, but I just think we’ve got so much going on in Spanish Fort that we need to let people know about,” she said. “Soon, when the economy finally turns around, we’re hoping to see a lot more people moving into this area — especially with the (proposed development of ) Highlands that will completely change the look of our city — and hopefully more corporate relocations. People need to be able to look at our website and see what we offer and why they need to live here.”

In the more immediate future, Brabner said the new site can also serve as an invaluable tool to help residents navigate the potential chaos the Alabama Department of Transportation’s widening of U.S. Highway 31 right through the middle of town will certainly create.

“This way, people will be able to look and check before they leave for work or school and know if they need to try going a different way. It really will be a public service because this is going to disrupt a large population if the road gets down to one lane or there are entire sections of it completely closed off, ” she said.

Above all, Brabner said she wants the overhauled site to unite residents who often feel distanced from the inner-workings of City Hall.

“The Internet is such an amazing tool to help a large group function as a tight-knit community, and as we grow, we certainly don’t want to lose our community feel. It’s one of Spanish Fort’s most attractive qualities,” she said.

Links to a city Facebook page announcing upcoming events or even access to City Council or Planning Commission meeting minutes, she said, will go a long way toward bridging the gap felt by many residents unable to attend the meetings in person.

“This is a way for them to get the information, formulate an opinion and then communicate that opinion to us before we make a decision. It really is a more inclusive way to do business,” Brabner said.