Archives

Cities, counties, towns, and boroughs . . . YouTown doesn’t stop there.  Departments within government agencies (such as emergency services, economic development, health department, etc.) have plenty of news of their own!  Departments can sign up with YouTown for an instant mobile connection to citizens, publishing updates, services, and maps to provide maximum customer service and transparency.

The Land Use Department in Will County, IL recently signed up and is keeping citizens informed about meetings, agendas, events, announcements, and more — all pulled together in the YouTown app and updated in real-time.  Derek O’Sullivan, Assistant Director at the Department, discussed the app on a local radio station last week.  He praised YouTown for providing a way for citizens to “engage” with the Department and get the latest updates on the go.

The show’s host said that people “always feel disconnected with their governments”, partly because they don’t go out of their way to find out what’s going on.  Because of this, it’s important for agencies to be “extra aggressive” in bringing information to citizens in a simple, convenient format.  Will County Land Use Department is using the app for this purpose, and O’Sullivan predicted:

As more and more people become aware of [YouTown], I think the governments will jump on it.

 

The Department was recently honored with the Public Integrity Award, presented by the American Society for Public Administration, in recognition of outstanding “openness and transparency”.  The mobile app is just one more way for the Department to continue going the extra mile to reach citizens.  “We’re publishing the same information that’s on our website and social media feeds,” said O’Sullivan, “but now it’s at people’s fingertips.”

Allen County, serving over 355,000 citizens in northeastern Indiana, sits nearly equidistant from Chicago, Columbus, Detroit, and Indianapolis.  The Allen County website gives an immediate picture of how “open” this government strives to be.  Beyond some of the more typical resources one finds on a county website, Allen County’s homepage contains links to a GIS portal, an online version of the County Code, and Public Records Request.  The agency also connects with citizens via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Video on Demand.  These efforts to provide relevant, easy-to-find information are the hallmark of an open government.

Why YouTown?

“One of our top priorities has been to search out and take advantage of new ways to get information to our citizens,” says Mike Green, Public Information Officer for Allen County.  “With the growing use of smart phones, a mobile app seemed the next logical step.  But because of budget constraints, we figured it would be some time before this could be addressed.”

This has been a common concern among government agencies over the last several years.  That’s why YouTown is available for free, and Allen County has proudly joined the ranks of other agencies who have signed up for the platform, announcing to citizens in a recent blog post that the app is not only free to residents, but free for the county as well.

Favorite features

Mike Green says the simplicity of the YouTown admin interface has been appreciated by County department heads and elected officials.  The re-purposing of news items from the County website using the RSS feeds, he says, is a great way to share information while saving the time of copying/pasting from once source to another.  Other agencies have also noted the convenience of this feature.  At the same time, YouTown continues to offer a manual option for entering news/events right in the dashboard, to accomadate cities that may not have RSS feeds published elsewhere.

Green also mentions the Events feature as an easy way to showcase the “important and unique” activities available to Allen County residents.  Recent upcoming events include:

• Cedar Creek Canoe Trip — The Parks Dept. invites residents for a paddle down a local creek, in search of heron, beaver, and songbird sightings.
• Tox-Away Day — An annual event that allows residents the opportunity to safely dispose of unwanted household hazardous waste.
• Glow-in-the-Dark Hike — The Parks Dept. invites residents on a nighttime hike to search for glowworms and bioluminescent mushrooms.
• Tire Amnesty Day — An annual event that allows residents to properly dispose of old unwanted tires.

Each of these events are listed in the app, with contact info, links to further information, and even directions in GoogleMaps.  Having this information in a mobile format makes it easier for folks in Allen County to be aware of the opportunities available to them.

Like many other agencies, Allen County uses the News feature to keep people up-to-date on auto accidents, construction notices, and other traffic alerts.  Mike Green suggests creating a whole section of YouTown dedicated to such information.  “Considering this is a mobile app, it might be a good idea to include a separate section for Traffic Alerts.  That would allow us to make travelers aware of roads under construction or areas affected by major accidents that should be avoided,” he explains.

Overall, Green says that Allen County is pleased with what YouTown has been able to offer.  They’ve only recently announced the app to citizens, so public feedback is still forthcoming.  But on the part of Allen County, an impressive effort is being made to inform and connect with residents — a government that is servant to the people, as it should be.  And here at YouTown, we’re just honored to be part of it.

Local Government Services — they run the gamut from legal to recreational — and all of them are important to citizens.  Sometimes people are unsure where to find information about even simple services like paying citations, licensing animals, or programs offered by the community.

The YouTown platform lets you provide a mobile service center where people can access information, get a contact number, and even find a map to locations where services are offered (Transit Authority, City Hall, Parks Department, etc.)

Keeping citizens informed about your agency’s services is a big step toward open, transparent, accessible government.

Lets get started with a quick overview what YouTown Services offer:

What services should I publish?

Consider the needs of the various segments of your community’s population: from businesses to visitors to residents, and even people moving into the area.  It may be helpful to think of “FAQ’s” that people generally ask your agency:

• Where can I get a license for my pet?
• What are the hours and regulations for the tennis courts at the park?
• Are swimming classes offered by the recreation department?
• Where can I get information about the recycling program?
• Where can I get information about building permits and inspections?
• What are the options for paying my water bill?  Can I pay from my phone?
• How do I pay my traffic citation?
• What transit options are offered by the city / county?
• What are the hours and regulations for the landfill / dump?
• Where can I get a passport application?

Citizens can find the answers to these questions by accessing the Services feature on the YouTown app, and finding the information that you provide there.  The services your agency provides are as unique as your community — so keep people informed!

In YouTown, services are bundled together in “Services Groups” so people can easily find the services that are most relevant to their needs. Some examples of service groups could include:

• Licensing
• Permits
• Health
• Recreation or Parks
• Utilities / Sanitation
• Transit
• Municipal / County Court
• Programs
• Safety
• Tourism

Services in Real Life

To see how it all comes together, let’s look in-depth at a few services being published by agencies right now, and how they appear on the app:

Shawnee, Oklahoma has a service labeled “Municipal Court / Pay Your Citation” which includes all the information citizens need to understand exactly what’s required to take care of citations in Shawnee.  There is a full description of Municipal Court hours, forms of accepted payment, how long the wait may be, and what papers / identification to bring.  A link directs citizens to more information on the City of Shawnee website, and another link connects to the inbox of City Hall.  A phone number and address are provided, and driving directions to the courthouse (City Hall) can be obtained right from the app.

Nanaimo, Canada publishes information about their parks department under “Recreation Services”.  This is an example of a city that uses the YouTown app to connect citizens to a portion of the city website (essentially creating a mobile version of an existing site).  Clicking into recreation services, residents and visitors to Nanaimo can browse Activity Guides, Trails, Parks, and more.

Morris County, New Jersey publishes county-specific services like how to get a passport, probate a will, or seek career services in Morris County.  All these services contain links to further information and contact numbers.

Enid, Oklahoma has a service for residents labeled “Pay Water Utility Bill” which contains a link to an Internet bill payment service.  From here, utility bills can be paid from the mobile device.  Enid has also published information on forms of accepted payment and a recommendation that late payments be made in person for faster processing.  A phone number and address are provided as well.

It doesn’t matter whether you are a municipality, a county, a small town, or a big city.  The services you offer can be made easily accessible to citizens using the YouTown Services feature.  Even if the information already appears on your website, people will appreciate the convenience of mobile access to community services — it’s just one more way to show your citizens that you care!

Tips & Tricks

Be as thorough as possible for the best results.  Here are a few more tips:

• Tell them what to bring — whether it’s paperwork, forms of payment, or a photo ID, this information helps citizens prepare and saves them time.
• Add contact info for each service you publish — an e-mail or phone number that people can use if they have questions.  Make this info as service-specific as possible.  (Hint: don’t just put the City Clerk’s mailbox on every service you publish — connect people to the right department!)
• Add a URL if people can find more information about the service somewhere online, whether it’s a link to a page of your municipal website or even a link to online payment services.  (For example, this can enable residents to pay their utility bill right from their mobile phones!)

Keep an eye on the blog for more tips and tricks about other YouTown features… coming soon.