by SC Publisher Shannen Hayes
The City of Sanibel launched an updated website designed to provide a modern, user-friendly, and accessible online experience for residents, visitors, and community partners. The redesign improves clarity, simplifies navigation, and ensures essential information is easy to find across all devices.
Superintendent of Streets and Parks Josh Holler told the council on Tuesday, Dec. 12, that the Public Works Department has developed a suite of interactive Google-based maps to provide access to essential city services for its part of the website update.
“I came across these maps I’ve been using personally, and I thought they would make a great addition to our city website,” said Holler, who initiated the development of the maps. “I wanted them to be as user-friendly as possible, and as clear and inviting as possible to encourage people to use these maps.”
City Manager Dana Souza told the council that Holler recognized the need to upgrade the website and, instead of static maps, “took the initiative to generate interactive maps that can be a great tool for our community and visitors.”
“I think showcasing his work here today is equally important as a staff member self-initiating it,” Souza said.
Found under the Public Works tab, these tools replace static PDFs with a more engaging, user-friendly interface, explained Holler. Users can zoom in on the maps, search locations, and click on parcels or facilities for detailed information, improving both usability and efficiency.
Holler noted that, since the maps are Google-based, users can get driving or walking directions, and routes are optimized for traffic. “I think that makes it a great tool because everyone knows how to use Google Maps,” he said.
The new maps are:
• Beach Parking Zone Map – Searchable and zoomable view of all beach parking zones, including rules and permitted areas.
• Public Facilities Map – Displays City-owned buildings, parks, and amenities with clickable details for each site.
• Garbage Collection Zone Map – Allows residents to search by address or parcel to view trash, recycling, and yard-waste pickup zones.
“It’s a work in progress,” Holler said of the maps. “We definitely have more improvements we would like to incorporate because you can pack a lot of information into these…”
Updated printable versions of each map are also available for residents and visitors who prefer or require hard-copy references, ensuring accessibility regardless of device or comfort level with digital tools.
“I hope that a lot of people get a lot of information (from the maps),” said Holler. He noted that it tracks the number of users, and thousands of people have accessed it before it was publicly announced.
All interactive maps and printable versions are now live on the City of Sanibel website.
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