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CITY OF WEST CHICAGO
FINANCE COMMITTEE
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
ITEM TITLE:
Subscription and Services Agreement with
Granicus for Website Design, Development,
Hosting, and Support Services
Resolution No. 26-R-0074
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER:   ______7.B.______
COMMITTEE AGENDA DATE: September 8, 2026
COUNCIL AGENDA DATE:    September 8, 2026
STAFF REVIEW: Kelley Chrisse, AICP, CEcD SIGNATURE  __________________________
ITEM SUMMARY:
The City issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Website Design, Development, Hosting, and Sup-
port Services on May 7, 2026. Proposals were due June 8, 2026. A primary objective of the project is
to replace the City's aging website with a modern, accessible platform that improves the overall user
experience and positions the City to meet new federal web accessibility requirements. Under the U.S.
Department of Justice's Title II regulations implementing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the
City's web content and mobile applications are generally required to conform to Web Content Accessi-
bility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA by April 26, 2028. The RFP also sought improvements to navi-
gation, content management, digital service delivery, and community engagement.
The City received 17 proposals in response to the RFP. Proposals were evaluated based on the crite-
ria established in the RFP, followed by interviews and demonstrations by three vendors. Granicus was
selected as the preferred vendor based on the functionality and flexibility of its proposed platform, mu-
nicipal website and digital communications experience, integration of website and communication
functions within a common platform, and overall value. Staff subsequently negotiated the scope and
contract terms, including implementation and subscription pricing, annual renewal provisions, payment
milestones, training, and service credits.
The resulting agreement separates the core website services from the optional Government Experi-
ence Agent (GXA), allowing the City Council to consider each independently.
Proposed Agreement
The agreement is organized into two packages:
•
Package A – Government Experience Service Cloud Essentials (Website Solution) pro-
vides for the design, development, hosting, and ongoing support of the new City website, in-
cluding content migration, content management and digital communication tools, and staff train-
ing. The new website will be designed to meet applicable ADA and web accessibility require-
ments while improving navigation, mobile responsiveness, readability, and content organization
to make City information and online services easier to access.
•
Package B – Government Experience Agent (GXA) provides an AI-powered chatbot that as-
sists users in finding City information and services. Users can interact with GXA in their pre-
ferred language and receive responses in that same language, reducing barriers to navigating
the City's website. If approved, GXA would initially be implemented on the City's existing web-
site, providing an alternative to the current search engine, which has not consistently produced
reliable results. Interaction data would also provide insight into the topics and information users
most frequently seek, which could help inform content organization and navigation for the new

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website. Following launch, GXA could transition to the new website or the City could discon-
tinue the service at the end of the annual term.
The initial costs are:

Package A – Website
Package B – GXA Total if Both Approved
One-Time Implementation
$32,038.65
$12,000.00
$44,038.65
First-Year Subscription
$14,894.78
$5,500.00
$20,394.78
Initial Cost
$46,933.43
$17,500.00
$64,433.43
*Granicus agreed to reduce the first-year subscription fees by 50% to account for the implementation period
occurring during the first subscription year.
The proposed initial cost of $64,433.43 if both packages are approved is within the $85,000 budgeted
in FY2026 for the project. Actual expenditures by fiscal year will depend upon the timing of the imple-
mentation milestones. The proposed FY2027 budget also anticipates continuation of both Package A
and Package B, providing for the applicable subscription costs as the website implementation contin-
ues.
Website implementation payments will be tied to four project milestones: Project Kickoff; Approval of
Information Architecture and Website Design; Delivery for City Acceptance Testing; and Go-Live. The
project is tentatively anticipated to last approximately 9 to 12 months from kickoff to launch, with the
schedule to be refined as the project progresses. Based on this anticipated schedule, the new website
would go live in advance of the City's April 26, 2028 ADA web accessibility compliance deadline.
Annual Term and Renewal
Based on the City Attorney's review of applicable Illinois municipal contracting requirements, the
agreement will be structured as an annual term rather than the three- or five-year commitment initially
proposed by Granicus.
The City will have the option to renew each package for up to four additional one-year terms. Renew-
als require affirmative City action and will not occur automatically. Approval of the agreement therefore
does not commit the City to a five-year expenditure.
Annual subscription pricing will increase by 5% per renewal term:

Optional
Year 2
Optional
Year 3
Optional
Year 4
Optional
Year 5
Website Solution
$31,279.03
$32,842.98
$34,485.13
$36,209.39
GXA
$11,550.00
$12,127.50
$12,733.88
$13,370.57
Total, if both renewed
$42,829.03
$44,970.48
$47,219.01
$49,579.96
Options for Consideration
The package structure provides the Finance Committee and City Council with three options:
1. Approve Packages A and B: Proceed with the new website and GXA at an initial cost of
$64,433.43. GXA may be discontinued at the end of the annual term without affecting the web-
site solution.
II
I
II
II
I
II
II
I
II
II
I
II
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I

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2. Approve Package A only: Proceed with the new website at an initial cost of $46,933.43.
3. Do not recommend an agreement at this time: Direct staff to pursue additional information or
alternatives before proceeding.
ACTIONS PROPOSED:
Staff recommends approval of the Subscription and Services Agreement for Website Design, Develop-
ment, Hosting, and Support Services with Granicus for Package A – Website Solution and Package B
– Government Experience Agent (GXA), at an initial cost not to exceed $64,433.43.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION:
This item is being presented to the Finance Committee for consideration prior to the City Council
meeting.
Attachment: Resolution No. 26-R-0074: A Resolution Authorizing the Mayor to Execute a Subscription
and Services Agreement with Granicus for Website Design, Development, Hosting, and
Support Services in an Amount not to Exceed $46,933.43 to $64,433.43, Depending on Se-
lected Project Scope