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Washington Website Displays City Project Information

The city of Mukilteo, Wash., launches new website to help city staff and citizens view

The city of Mukilteo, Wash., is going transparent with city projects — and doing so in real time.

Last week the city launched a new website outlining city projects that provides information including a project’s description, budget, pictures, design plans if available and project status, according to local media. The individual projects are listed by name so by clicking on the project posted on the website, users can read up on it and track its progress, according to the city.

By clicking on the website’s map link, users can see the individual projects plotted on a map of the city. By clicking on the plotted points, users can then read information about the project.

The projects make up the Capital Facilities Plan, which includes projects based on these categories: city, buildings, transportation, stormwater, parks and recreation, and habitat management.

The website ranks projects based on priority and budgets, with annual programs at the top of the list followed by projects with a six-year implementation plan and then projects with a 20-year implementation plan. Examples of current projects listed on the website include projects on pavement preservation, a park renovation and repair program.

Patricia Love, the city’s assistant director of community development, said the city decided to create the website as a way to streamline the city project information to one place. Before implementing the site, it was difficult to keep track of a project’s information as it went through its various stages. Because multiple city departments are involved in city projects, having the information accessible in one location made it easier for city staff to track and access a project’s information.

“Between all these different departments and files, it’s hard to keep track of the project,” Love said. “So then it’s hard to really get up-to-date information to your councils because you have to go through all these different files to find the latest update.”

Love said the city planners and engineers have access to editing the site so a project’s status can be updated in real time.

According to Love, the city partnered with Paladin Data Systems, a Poulsbo, Wash.-based technology firm to launch the project.

 

Miriam Jones is a former chief copy editor of Government Technology, Governing, Public CIO and Emergency Management magazines.