Town launches app for public to report issues
The SeeClickFix web platform can be accessed on the Town of Yountville website homepage – the heart icon.
Is a sprinkler running unchecked in a nearby park?
Has a car been abandoned on the street in your neighborhood?
Does the Mutt Mitt box at the dog park need to be refilled?
If so, there’s a new, simple way to report these and many other non-emergency issues to the town for action.
It’s an app and website platform called SeeClickFix, and the Town of Yountville is now equipped with the system.
Users can log in and easily file a report, add comments, suggest courses of action, or add video. In addition to ease of use for residents, the platform is designed to streamline the process for town employees as well, routing each service request or notice to the appropriate department.
The person filing the report will receive a follow-up notification once their issue is addressed, Information Systems Administrator Jason Bernard said during a demonstration of the program for the Town Council on Tuesday.
“SeeClickFix is a digital solution that empowers residents and visitors to report on issues, identify repair needs, share feedback, and ask questions of our local leaders,” Bernard said. “It can be accessed through our website and through an app on your iPhone, tablet, or Android phone.”
The tool’s mobile app is free to download. Bernard said users can sign up for an account or access the system as a guest. Users can also submit a report anonymously if they choose, but they would not receive feedback from the Town.
Town Manager Brad Raulston said Tuesday that staff had been working on installing the system for about six months, doing some beta testing before launching it live.
“I think we will make refinements,” Raulston told the council, adding that he has had a lot of experience using this system and has found it to be very effective.
“I think this is an effective way to make government more efficient, you know, because if I have to call John, and John has to call Jacob, and Jacob has to go out and he’s looking for something, sometimes we get in a merry-go-round of looking for things,” Raulston said. “I will add that if you can take a picture on your phone, it really is useful, because a lot of times the crews are going out looking for something, and it not only has a picture, but it shows GPS location of where exactly. So if it’s a pothole, or it’s a tree down, or those sorts of incidents, that really helps the staff.”
Raulston said that town staff would be suggesting SeeClickFix to residents who call in to report non-emergency issues. He suggested the council do the same with their constituents.
