Village of Hancock — Project Overview

🏛️

Client Information

Primary Contact

Name Jillian Steele

Role Village Trustee

Email jillianamorton16@gmail.com

Phone 262-716-3328

Day-to-Day Point of Contact Jillian — all design + info questions go through her

Organization

Client Type Municipal Government (Village)

Population ~416 residents

Founded 1902

Decision Maker Village Board (board vote required)

Clerk Unnamed — Jillian's point of contact; mailed deposit check

Current Domain villageofhancock.org (to be transferred)

About the Community

Primary Audience 60+ demographic — design for clarity, large fonts, high contrast, ADA/WCAG compliant

Local Amenities Pine Lake, Fish Lake, Whistler Mounds Park

Community Events Street dance, farmers market, trick-or-treat (relevant for events + photo content)

Board Challenge High trustee turnover — CMS must be designed so any new volunteer can take over with minimal training

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Deposit Package Note Envelope arrived ripped open. Confirmed contents: check + one USB drive. Jillian confirming nothing else was included — follow up if needed.

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Project Summary

What was approved: Option B — Foundation + Documents Package @ $4,200

5-page custom website with document management (agendas/minutes/ordinances), announcement system, board directory, and CMS. Board voted to approve March 24, 2025. First-class mail deposit received March 31, 2025.

Why They Came to Us

🔴 Current site has SSL certificate errors — residents can't access it
🔴 Paying ~$550/yr combined (platform $300 + domain $250) for a broken site
🔴 Paper-based payment process (water bills, recycling fees)
🔴 No easy access to agendas, minutes, ordinances for residents
🔴 Board turnover creates institutional knowledge gaps

What Success Looks Like

✅ Residents can actually reach the site — SSL fixed permanently
✅ Clerk/trustees can update content without Jordan's help
✅ Documents (agendas, minutes, ordinances) accessible 24/7
✅ New board members onboard themselves with minimal friction
✅ No ongoing software fees — just $20/mo hosting to Vercel

💡

Payment Integration: NOT in current scope Online bill pay (water/recycling via Square) was in the original $6,200 proposal but not in Option B. This is a clear future upsell. Note: Village bank does not have a municipal bill pay portal.

🎨

Design Direction: Ask Jillian which mockup concept she preferred Two homepage concepts were built at village-of-hancock.latzwebdesign.com — Jillian hasn't responded yet on which direction felt more like "Hancock." Get this answer before building fresh.

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Financials

Line Item	Notes	Amount
Foundation + Documents Package	5 pages, CMS, document management, announcements, board directory	$4,200
Total Contract		$4,200
✅ Deposit Received	Check via mail — arrived ~March 31, 2025. USB drive also included.	$2,100
Balance Due at Launch	Due when site goes live	$2,100

Ongoing / Separate Costs (client pays directly)

Hosting $20/month — paid directly to Vercel by village (includes SSL, analytics)

Domain villageofhancock.org — being transferred; client was paying ~$250/yr. They can keep renewing wherever or transfer to new registrar.

Previous Platform ~$300/yr — client needs to cancel this. Remind them to not let it renew.

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Value Story (for future reference) They were paying ~$550/yr for a broken site. New cost: $20/month ($240/yr) for a custom site they own. That's a savings of $310/year, every year, forever — on top of actually having a site that works.

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Client Journey Timeline

⏱️

6-month sale cycle First contact September 24, 2025. Board approved Option B on March 24, 2025. Deposit in hand March 31, 2025. Long runway driven by board decision-making process, budget hesitation, and a rescheduled board meeting due to weather.

Sep 24, 2025

Initial Contact

Jillian Steele submitted contact form. Trustee requesting quote for village website. Replied same day, scheduled call for Sep 25 at 1pm.

Sep 25, 2025

Discovery Call

Missed 1pm call — Jillian was on another call. Connected at 2pm. Discussed needs, SSL issues, payment processing. Follow-up: asked about bank's municipal bill pay portal (they don't have one).

Oct 1, 2025

Full Proposal Sent

Delivered $6,200 proposal (7 pages + payment integration + photography). Targeted October 20 board meeting for approval.

Oct 14, 2025

Pre-Meeting Check-In

Jillian asked for sample site to show board — nothing like this in portfolio. Built two custom homepage concepts at village-of-hancock.latzwebdesign.com instead. She loved it.

Oct 17, 2025

Mockup Concepts Delivered

Two live concept designs sent. Jillian confirmed domain transfer (villageofhancock.org) is possible. Board meeting was Oct 20.

Oct–Nov 2025

Follow-Up Period

Oct 27 + Nov 12 check-ins. Board discussion ongoing — no response. Budget was the barrier.

Mar 10, 2026

Jillian Re-Engages

Jillian reached back out asking if scope could be trimmed to fit budget. Responded same day with 3 tiered options ($2,800 / $4,200 / custom). Board meeting scheduled for following Monday.

Mar 18, 2026

Board Meeting Rescheduled

Weather caused rescheduled meeting. Jillian said she'd follow up the next week.

Mar 24, 2026

🎉 Board Approved Option B

Board voted to approve Foundation + Documents package at $4,200. Jillian confirmed via email. Payment structure confirmed: 50/50 split. Invoice sent via PayPal ($2,100).

Mar 25, 2026

Kickoff Email Sent

Invoice sent. Content wishlist given to Jillian (photos, board info, agendas/minutes, ordinances, domain login). Offered to pick up check in Plainfield on the 26th.

Mar 26, 2026

Check Mailed by Clerk

Clerk had check ready — mailed instead of in-person pickup.

Mar 31, 2026

✅ Deposit Received — PROJECT LIVE

Check + USB drive arrived. Envelope was ripped open — confirming with Jillian nothing was lost. USB drive contents TBD. Project is now active.

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Scope & Pages

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Approved Scope: Foundation + Documents (Option B) 5 pages. CMS-managed content throughout. Designed for 60+ audience: large fonts, high contrast, ADA/WCAG compliant. Mobile-responsive. Board transition-proof.

Static

Home

Welcome message / village overview
Hero image (Pine Lake or Whistler Mounds)
Quick links: announcements, meeting dates
Upcoming events preview
Mobile-first, accessible design

Static

About Hancock

Village history + character
Pine Lake, Fish Lake, Whistler Mounds Park info
Services and amenities overview
What makes Hancock special

CMS Managed

Contact

Board members: name, role, click-to-email
Click-to-call phone numbers
Office hours + location
Simple contact form (general inquiries)

CMS Managed

Agendas & Minutes

Three sections: Upcoming, Recent, Archive by Year
Simple PDF upload via CMS
Each entry: title, meeting date, PDF download
Organized — no clutter

CMS Managed

Ordinances

Table: Number | Title | Date Passed | Download
PDF upload system for clerk
Clear organization for resident reference

Not in Scope

News & Notices / Events

Was in $6,200 proposal — not in Option B
Could be added as upsell after launch
Payment integration also not in scope

CMS Overview

Platform Sanity — custom schema, simple forms designed for clerk/volunteer use

Who Uses It Clerk + trustees. Any new board member should be able to pick it up with the CMS guide.

Manageable Content Board directory, agendas/minutes, ordinances

Training CMS guide (HTML + .docx) to be delivered at launch. Training session to be scheduled.

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Content Needed from Client

⚠️

Content delivery = timeline driver The faster Jillian delivers this, the faster we launch. Prompt content = 3–4 weeks. Slow content = 6–8 weeks. Set clear expectations.

Content Checklist

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Photos
Village scenes, lakes, park, community events (street dance, farmers market). Jillian has some. USB drive may have more — check contents.
Partial — USB arrived
👥
Board Member Directory
Names, roles, email addresses for all current board members
Pending
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Meeting Agendas & Minutes (PDFs)
Recent ones to start — don't need full archive before launch
Pending
📜
Ordinances (PDFs)
Current ordinances with ordinance numbers, titles, dates passed
Pending
✍️
Welcome Message / Village Overview
Doesn't need to be perfect — rough thoughts, bullet points, phrases. Jordan will craft the copy.
Pending
🌐
Domain Registrar Login
Login credentials for wherever villageofhancock.org is registered. Jordan will walk them through what's needed.
Requested — awaiting
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Design Direction Preference
Which of the two mockup concepts (village-of-hancock.latzwebdesign.com) felt more like Hancock? Get this ASAP.
Requested — awaiting
💾
USB Drive Contents
Unknown — arrived with deposit. May contain documents, photos, existing content. Review immediately.
In Hand — Review

⚙️

Technical Specifications

Stack

Framework Next.js 13+ (App Router)

Frontend React + Tailwind CSS

CMS Sanity — custom schemas

Hosting Vercel ($20/mo, client pays directly)

SSL Auto-renewal via Vercel (fixes current error permanently)

Domain & Migration

Current Domain villageofhancock.org

Transfer Plan Transfer or point DNS to Vercel. Jordan handles logistics.

Old Platform Client needs to cancel existing $300/yr plan — advise them before domain transfer

Dev URL village-of-hancock.latzwebdesign.com (mockups live here)

Accessibility Requirements

Standard ADA / WCAG 2.1 AA compliant

Typography Large readable fonts — no squinting. Minimum 16px body text.

Color Contrast High contrast — readable in any lighting on any device

Navigation Simple, clear — no hidden menus, no tech barriers

Mobile Click-to-call numbers, touch-friendly buttons — works on any device without apps

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Project Timeline

✅

Project started March 31, 2026 — deposit in hand Target: 3–5 weeks with prompt content delivery. Max 8 weeks if content is slow.

Week 1 — NOW

Setup & Content Gathering

Review USB drive contents
Get design direction preference from Jillian (which mockup felt like Hancock)
Send formal content checklist to Jillian
Set up project repo, Vercel project, Sanity project
Coordinate domain transfer logistics
Advise client to cancel old platform before it renews

Weeks 1–3

Design & Development

Build homepage + about page (static)
Build contact page with board directory (CMS)
Build agendas/minutes system (CMS + PDF upload)
Build ordinances system (CMS + PDF upload)
Share live dev link for Jillian to review as it's built

Weeks 3–4

Content Integration & Refinement

Populate real content as it arrives from Jillian
Integrate photos (from USB + any sourced images)
Implement feedback from Jillian's reviews
Accessibility pass — fonts, contrast, mobile

Week 4–5

Finalization & Launch

Final review with Jillian
Domain transfer / DNS cutover
Training session with clerk/board
CMS guide delivered (HTML + .docx)
Site goes live — final $2,100 invoice sent
Post-launch check-in scheduled

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Future Upsells & Add-Ons

💡

Best window: 3–6 months post-launch, once they're comfortable using the CMS Don't pitch these at launch — let the site prove its value first. Come back with a check-in email and plant the seed.

💳 Online Payment Integration

~$800–$1,200

Square integration for water bills + recycling fees. Was in original $6,200 proposal. Most natural upsell — they mentioned it early as a need. Bank has no municipal portal, so Square is the path.

📰 News & Notices System

~$400–$600

CMS-managed village bulletin — road closures, recycling updates, meeting notices. Was in original scope, cut from Option B. Clerk would love this tool once they're comfortable with the site.

📅 Events Calendar

~$400–$600

Upcoming village events, board meeting schedule, links to agendas. Street dance, farmers market, trick-or-treat hours. Also cut from Option B — easy add-on.

🔍 Enhanced Document Archive

$450

Advanced search + filtering for historical agendas, minutes, and ordinances by year/keyword. Directly from original proposal. Worth pitching once the document library grows.

📸 Professional Photography

~$600–$800

Was included in original $6,200 proposal — cut when scope was reduced. 15–20 images of Pine Lake, Fish Lake, Whistler Mounds, village scenes. Licensed for web + print.

🔧 Annual Maintenance / Retainer

~$500–$800/yr

Light annual retainer: updates, page additions, adjustments as village needs grow. Good fit for a board that has high turnover and limited internal tech capacity.

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Notes & Observations

March 31, 2026 — Project Kickoff

6 months from first contact to deposit. Long cycle driven entirely by board decision process — not disinterest. Jillian was always engaged and responsive; the board needed time and a lower price point. Re-engagement in March came from Jillian herself, which is a great sign — she believed in this.

Design Concept Gamble — Oct 17, 2025

Built two live mockup concepts at village-of-hancock.latzwebdesign.com with no charge, specifically because Jillian needed something to show the board. No municipal portfolio to reference. Risky move but it paid off — Jillian said "this is wonderful, thank you for going above and beyond." That likely kept us in the running during the 5-month gap.

Content Strategy Note

Copy will need to be written from scratch or near-scratch. Jillian mentioned they'd work on a welcome message but it won't be polished. Budget for copywriting time into the build — this is a municipality with no marketing background. The "rough thoughts / bullet points" approach is the right ask.

Board Communication Note

All communication goes through Jillian. She's the liaison to the full board. The clerk handles financials (mailed check). Don't contact the clerk directly unless Jillian introduces her. Be mindful that anything major may need board approval — especially add-ons.

USB Drive — Unknown Contents

A USB drive arrived with the deposit envelope. Envelope was ripped. Contents unknown — could be photos, documents, existing content. Check immediately and confirm with Jillian what it contains and that nothing was lost in transit.