Lehighton residents could have a more user-friendly website to navigate by the end of the year.

Borough council members unanimously agreed Monday to contract with na studios of Northampton on website design.

Council’s action came after it heard from Bob Bysher, lead designer, who said that he has 27 years experience.

“Thank you for taking an active approach to your website,” Bysher said. “I can understand why residents would be complaining about your website.”

Lehighton’s website, which is between 6 and 8 years old, generates a lot of complaints.

Bysher told council na studios tries to keep things simple for the residents, and also that the borough’s current website is currently not compliant with the federal Americans With Disabilities Act.

However, Councilwoman Autumn Abelovsky reiterated her previous stance on the matter.

“I don’t see much wrong with our page currently,” Abelovsky said. “I think it’s very easy to navigate; I like that ours looks different.”

But borough Manager Dane DeWire said that from the time he was hired, he found the current website “difficult to navigate.”

“I never liked the website, to be honest,” DeWire said. “I found it difficult (to navigate).”

Abelovsky said that her concern wasn’t with changing companies.

“I’m not against going with another company,” she said. “I just want it to look like Lehighton.”

DeWire said his hope is for the borough to implement something new by the end of the year.

After the meeting, DeWire said that this year, the borough’s annual website contract cost $2,308, which is a 5 percent increase from last year.

He said that between the general fund and sewer fund, the borough has $10,500 set aside in this year’s budget for communications. Of that, he said $2,000 is expected to be available at the end of the fiscal year.

Additionally, DeWire said the borough also received a reimbursement for six months of web services after switching to a six-month contract period, which brings available communication funds up to $3,000 before the end of December.

As long as the borough maintains a $10,500 budget for communication going into the 2025 fiscal year, DeWire said the borough can expect that additional $2,000 availability again next year on top of the $2,308 it won’t be spending on its website provider.

“So, between what is left in this year’s budget and what will be available in next year’s budget, we will be able to pay for the entirety of a new website without any change in finances,” he said. “Then, going into 2026, we will begin saving $2,308 or more per year going forward, as this new proposal is a one-time fee in lieu of recurring, annual payment.”

Council had discussed potential upgrades to the website at last month’s meeting.

DeWire said at that time he received a proposal for a new website in the amount of $13,950.

However, council wasn’t interested in raising the budget for the borough’s communication service in order to afford that with next year’s budget, along with what the borough has left in this year’s budget.

Council at that time directed DeWire to work out a payment plan and find out details for the project.

Since then, DeWire worked with NA Studios to get that total down to $7,750.

DeWire said that all meeting agendas and meeting minutes are required by law to be posted.