The Cities of Phoenix, AZ; Hayward, CA; and Fishers, IN are engaging and connecting with their community through mobile access. Included in this article is Fishers, IN and their development of one of the most comprehensive iPhone apps that enables residents to report more than just infrastructure and code enforcement complaints, but provides access to news releases, town events, government services, a photo gallery, social media, etc – all in one application. The two other examples we included come from Phoenix, AZ and Hayward, CA. They demonstrate how local governments can maintain customer service, even in the midst of reduced staffs and budgets. Phoenix has developed both iPhone and Android Apps that focus on neighborhood blight. Access Hayward has transformed customer service by giving residents 24/7 access to services while providing staff the tools they need to manage the resolution process and provide automatic updates. All three examples are excellent demonstrations of looking toward the future of service delivery and demonstrate a dedication to innovating in the process.

Phoenix, AZ 

by David Cavazos, City Manager, City of Phoenix

In your pocket right now you may have a more sophisticated computer, in the form of an iPhone, BlackBerry, or Android smartphone, than we had for the first half of my career with the City of Phoenix. I believe we can leverage that opportunity to provide enhanced services to our residents while still maintaining our core priorities and focus on building a more efficient organization. For the City of Phoenix, that is how we make “doing more with less” both a challenge and an asset. Like many other local governments, Phoenix has overcome significant budget deficits with dramatic spending cuts. Our workforce has been reduced by more than 2,000 people, or 13%, with 95% of that reduction through attrition. We now have the smallest city government in 40 years, with 9.4 employees per 1,000 residents, and continue to offer most of the services our residents have come to expect.

At the same time, we have seen thousands of our residents lose their homes to foreclosure, leaving behind vacant properties. For our Neighborhood Services Department, this has meant an increase of 14% code enforcement cases year-over-year. The Mayor and City Council continue to place a high priority on Neighborhood Preservation, meaning staff has been asked to reorganize and reprioritize to handle the caseload without additional resources.

As  an organization, we have always embraced innovation and technology to help us solve challenges. So when some of our department staff read an article in a government publication about municipalities using an iPhone app for residents to report code violations, we immediately looked into the feasibility for use in Phoenix.

Graffiti Protective Coatings, one of our private sector partners, offered the City an iPhone app with no cost to the city or our residents. After trying it among our staff, and researching the other 20 cities using the company’s technology, we found the app to be just what we needed. We launched the app this summer, named myPhxAz, and were proud as we saw our first smartphone blight reports start to arrive. Knowing the iPhone was not the only powerful app-based smartphone on the market, we wanted to embrace the Android platform as well, which was rapidly gaining users. At our request, our vendor developed the Android app, named myPhxAz in the Android Marketplace. We were the first local government to launch an Android app for reporting blight violations.

As of this month, more than 2,000 residents have downloaded one of the apps and reported almost 400 complaints. The first screen asks the user to choose among nine different types of cases, from high weeds/dead vegetation to abandoned shopping carts. The user is then asked to include a text or audio note, take up to four photos, and to pinpoint the location on Google Maps, with their current location clearly marked. Finally, the resident can enter their name, email address and phone number (or leave the report anonymously) and can choose to receive updates on the violation or subscribe to city notices.

Jerry Cline of the Paradise Valley Oasis Block Watch and Phoenix Neighborhood Patrol is an active user of the MyPhoenix iPhone app. Jerry told our staff, “The app is easy to use and I like the ability to take multiple pictures. It’s a plus, especially when reporting graffiti. It is more convenient than other methods of reporting by far.” For residents like Jerry, the app is one way we make reporting issues in their neighborhoods easier, more convenient, and more detailed.

The City will continue to operate the phone and email reporting systems too. Since our code enforcement policy is primarily complaint based, our residents are the eyes and ears of our community. The app is meant to provide yet another way that residents can report code violations – on the go, on the weekends or evenings, or wherever they are. At the same time, it helps our staff by providing a form of automation. But we don’t want to stop there. I envision a “Web Enabled City” that embraces technological innovation and automated city services. Departments throughout the organization continue to see exciting opportunities for the City in new technology.

Right now, we are researching grant management software, discussing cloud computing opportunities, and enhancing our uses of Microsoft’s SharePoint. We will, however, continue to move cautiously in this area to ensure we are following all legal mandates and maintaining fiscal responsibility to our residents.

For now, our residents will continue to embrace phone apps, and as their functionality continues to grow, we will continue to seek opportunities in that space. Already, the city provides roads, water, public transportation, planning, and much more to our residents. Now, we can be right in their pocket or purse so we can serve them even better.

To learn more about the apps, please contact the Phoenix Neighborhood Services Department at (602) 534-3607 or nsd@phoenix.gov or download the iPhone app “myPhxAz” from the iOS App Store, or “MyPhxAZ” in the Android  Marketplace.

Fishers, Indiana

by Gary Huff, Town Manager

The Town of Fishers is pleased to be the first local government to release an iPhone app that enables residents to report problems other than potholes, and provides a wide range of information about local government – news releases, events, list of town services, photo gallery, social media, etc – all in one application.

“We’re excited to offer our residents one of the most comprehensive iPhone solutions in the country for local governments,” said Gary Huff, Fishers Town Manager. “We know our technologically savvy and on-the-go residents will utilize the service whether it’s to report a pothole, watch a town council meeting, or connect to us through social media channels.”

iPhone users can find the app through their handheld device or iTunes by searching Fishers, IN.

Some of the app’s features include:

• Reporting features such as potholes and road repair, overgrown grass complaints, illegal dumping complaints, and the police tip line.

• Myriad services include facility and shelter rental, roadwork updates, arson hotline, police and fire recruitment, emergency and disaster preparedness, and more.

• Government information including contact information, maps, phone numbers, public official bios, and more.

• Public meeting information including agendas, minutes, and meeting calendars. Town department news.

• Events calendar featuring parks programming and non-profit events happening throughout the town.

• Social media functions connect users to the town’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.

• Streaming video and images.

The Fishers application was built by eGov Strategies of Indianapolis and LaViaz Mobile of Carmel and is free to download.

Hayward, CA

by Clancy Priest, Technology Services Director

Customer Service, Job One! 

Hayward residents, as with most cities, are increasingly demanding instant answers to their questions and more accountability from their elected officials and City staff. Whether the issue involves a pothole in their street, a barking dog in their neighborhood, or graffiti, they want to know when things will be done or why they cannot be addressed.

While residents are frustrated “not knowing” or receiving a rapid response to their issue, staff are frustrated by the time required to update residents, by time wasted tracking down answers, and by the sudden realization that two or three other staff members may be working on the same problem.

Hayward staff realized that a great website provides greater access to information and fosters community involvement, but it only provides one-way communication and lacks the personalized interaction that our residents want and deserve.

Access Hayward has transformed customer service by giving residents 24/7 access to services while providing staff the tools they need to manage the resolution process and provide automatic updates.

Access Hayward is a hosted web-based Citizen Relationship Management (CRM) software system that lets residents submit questions or requests for service directly via the City’s website and lets employees directly enter requests received by phone, email, or in-person and now through mobile apps.

Centralized processing of all requests has many benefits:

• Residents get an immediate response acknowledging their request – and their request never gets lost

• Residents receive regular updates regarding the progress of their request

• Supervisors know how productive their crews are

• Managers know how often pre-set service levels are being met

• Officials have a better understanding of the community’s needs and priorities

Access Hayward also integrates seamlessly with other City applications, including permitting, code enforcement, and work order management.

Mobile Access to Local Government

Access Hayward for the iPhone offers residents a simple way to connect directly with the agency’s resources and quickly submit a request while they are on the go. The iPhone app is completely integrated with the Access Hayward system, making it easy to add this feature to the City’s customer service program.

Residents can now easily report issues like barking dogs, abandoned vehicles, overgrown trees, unsafe sidewalks, graffiti, or potholes wherever and whenever they prefer if they have an iPhone (and Droid by the end of the year)

• GPS and camera features built into the iPhone make it simple for residents to send City staff a photo and location of the issue

• Easy for residents to check the status of issues reported, even if they reported them anonymously

• Issues go directly into the Access Hayward customer service system and are automatically delivered to the right staff member - no need for residents to go to city hall or sit by a computer

Benefits for the City

A picture is worth a thousand words – with the iPhone app, a photo and GPS coordinates, staff can efficiently find and fix issues. Staff actually saves time and money while improving service.

• We offer around the clock service through the iPhone, web, email, and phone – improving service even with staff reductions, furloughs, and reduced office hours

• GPS coordinates (when enabled on the phone) are used in reporting to show exactly where problems are occurring

As Hayward residents rely more than ever on their mobile devices, on-the-go access to City services isn’t an option – it’s an essential part of our commitment to customer service. Access Hayward for the iPhone makes it easy for staff to offer completely integrated around-the-clock connectivity.