Thursday, July 24, 2014

Mayor Kim Driscoll Announces Launch of New Constituent Service App

Mayor Kim Driscoll Announces Launch of New Constituent Service App
New platform lets public submit service requests directly to City departments by the web or mobile app

The City of Salem has launched a new online tool to streamline the process for requesting city services or reporting an issue anywhere in the City. Mayor Kim Driscoll announced earlier today the official launch of the new Commonwealth Connect app, available athttp://seeclickfix.com/apps, and website, athttp://seeclickfix.com/salemma.

The program allows residents to report non-emergency issues, such as graffiti and potholes, in real time directly to the appropriate City department for resolution.Residents with smartphones candownload the appfree of charge to any iPhone or Android device to report issues straight from the palm of their hands. The program can also be accessed by clicking the SeeClickFix button at www.salem.comfrom a computer or other web-enabled device.

Since City officials and staff are not able to be in all places at all times, this new tool makes it possible for everyone to pitch in, keeping Salem a great place to live, work, learn, and play. With just a few clicks, anyone can report and monitor problems. Commonwealth Connect makes it easy and accessible for everyone to communicate concerns in real time.

With the program, users can submit problems directly to the appropriate City staff, along with detailed information, descriptions, and even a photo. Residents do not need to create an account to submit a request, they may do so anonymously. Using the GPS function on the smartphone, the program can pinpoint the precise location of the issue, or it can be entered manually. Users can view, comment on, or update issues that have already been reported, and share issues by posting them to Facebook, Twitter, and more. Finally, users can stay up to date and receive messages whenever another user or the City has an update on an issue the user has submitted or is following.

Commonwealth Connect can be used to report a wide variety of non-emergency issues, including road defects, sidewalk repairs, tree pruning, line painting requests, missing street signs, nonfunctioning street lights, missed trash and recycling pick-ups, graffiti incidents, and more.

When someone submits a service request on SeeClickFix, the City will post a confirmation that the issue was received and a service number for tracking purposes. Others in the community can sign on to follow the status of the issue. Residents are encouraged to check-in to see the status of their requests and sign up in order to receive email notifications to find out when they have been resolved.
In addition to Commonwealth Connect, the City is launching next week a wiki for Salem municipal government and City services called Knowledge Base. This program will also be accessible by clicking the SeeClickFix button at www.salem.comand in the Commonwealth Connect mobile app on smartphone. Knowledge Base is a comprehensive tool to provide citizens with access to information and answers. Because it is a wiki, the Knowledge Base continually improves as citizens and city officials add new questions and answers. Citizens can search for answers, ask the City new questions, or answer each other’s questions. The City can post answers to citizen questions and tag “official” answers.

The Commonwealth Connect tool was developed by SeeClickFix, a New England based organization that has become the most widely-distributed citizen reporting tool in the country.

Participating municipalities using the application include Ayer, Barnstable, Bedford, Braintree, Brookfield, Chicopee, Chilmark, Clarksburg, Eastham, Easton, Everett, Fall River, Fitchburg, Framingham, Franklin, Halifax, Haverhill, Holliston, Hopkinton, Lexington,~Malden, Medway, Melrose, Middleborough, Nantucket, Needham, New Bedford, Newton, North Adams, North Andover, Northampton, Orange, Randolph, Revere, Royalston, Seekonk, Somerville, Sudbury, Taunton, Wakefield, Ware, Watertown, West Boylston, Westborough, Whitman, Woburn, and Worcester. In addition, Commonwealth Connect is integrated with the systems of eight additional communities, including Andover, Boston, Chelsea, Lowell, Quincy, Saugus, Swampscott, and Worcester, bringing the total number of communities connected up to 54. If a user of the app is in one of those 54 communities and identifies an issue that needs to be addressed, they can report it using the one app on their smartphone.

Access Salem’s Commonwealth Connect and Knowledge Base clicking the SeeClickFix link atwww.salem.com.


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