Mobile technology is changing the way people communicate and engage with their community. As a result, cities, one by one, are starting to capitalize on this new trend by developing mobile apps and tools to meet the demands and interests of their savvy constituents. One city in-particular is experiencing this transformation first hand.
The City of Plano, Texas has been revolutionizing the way its
community works together to resolve city-related concerns via it's Fix It Plano app. The city enlisted the help of PublicStuff to develop a mobile app and service request system in July, 2011 and branded the system Fix It Plano. The app allows residents to
report and submit city-related requests in real time from anywhere. Requests,
normally centered on maintenance issues, are sent directly to the correct city
department to be resolved. Since launching Fix It Plano in July 2011, the city
has closed out more than 1,489 service requests. But what's truly fascinating is that half of those requests focused on water-related issues.
Why? Well when
Fix It Plano was first introduced, like many other North Texas cities, Plano was
under outdoor watering restrictions. A water supply issue related to an
invasive species of Zebra Mussels in the cities main water supply, was compounding its drought issues after a dry, hot summer, that extended into the fall. In October, water concerns heightened as the city prepared
to move into enhanced Stage 3 Water Restrictions on Nov. 1, taking residents
from once- a-week watering to once-every-other-week watering. From the
beginning of these heightened restrictions, residents were eager to continue
their participation in water conservation efforts. City phones were buzzing with
reports of wasteful watering practices and unscheduled watering. It became
obvious as restrictions tightened; Fix It Plano could divert this barrage of
additional calls into a more unified system. On Oct. 12, a City press release
announced watering violations could now be reported via Fix It Plano. In the 19
days that followed 71 water violations were reported.
Nancy
Nevil, Plano’s director of sustainability and environmental services said, “Our
residents are very technologically savvy and Fix It Plano was a tool that empowered
them to be involved in the solution of saving as much water as possible. More
important than violations, they reported water leaks, broken sprinklers and
other water-related issues that required repair.”
As
weather forecasters predict another grueling Texas summer, Fix It Plano will
continue to support water conservation efforts in Plano. The Fix It Plano app
is free to download and accessible via the iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, Blackberry
and Android applications. Citizens may also submit services via telephone,
through SMS text, and directly through the City’s website. To access any of the
Fix It portals, please click on the links below.
