As promised, new City Manager Doug Schulze has made public outreach a priority.
City Hall has taken gradual steps to up its web presence over the last year, including the launch of a city manager Twitter account this week. It’s also experimenting with new online tools for residents.
Here are some outreach improvements the city has made recently, in no particular order:
- Schulze sends out a weekly city manager’s report via email (sign up here). It’s become useful resource for staying on top of city news.
- Customers can now pay fees for utilities and licenses on the city website.
- The police department posts monthly crime statistics online. Police also send out text and email alerts via Nixle (this system has been in place for more than a year now, and seems to work well).
- Public works utilizes a system called SeeClickFix (sample pictured below). It allows residents to use their mobile devices to report hazards like oil spills and potholes, and track the city response.
More improvements are on the way. Schulze is putting the finishing touches on a communications plan to present to the City Council soon and expects to launch a new city website in late November.
