It took a new motel in Le Center to reincarnate the city’s Web site, which had succumbed to woeful neglect.

The 2,365-resident community’s new site differs little from those of other towns, but differs greatly from its predecessor, which had become something of a civic black eye.

“It was doing absolutely no good for the city, but it was the one that came up when people Googled Le Center,” city clerk/treasurer Chris Collins said.

The original one-page site, started by a computer-savvy resident who has since left town, hadn’t been updated in years.

The impetus for implementing a new one came from City Council member Dorothy Dinwiddie, who saw the need to better promote Le Center.

She said the catalyst for change was the opening of a new motel a few months ago. As the only commercial lodging place in town, it was thought that it should have a Web site presence for out-of-towners looking for a place to stay.

The new site (www.cityoflecenter.com) provides links to the local Chamber of Commerce and other entities and is about 80 percent completed.

Dinwiddie said the next order of business is finding someone to maintain it. It’s likely that will come from the ranks of city employees.