The presentation from SeeClickFix representatives will take place at 5:15 p.m. in the Governor’s Room at City Hall, according to a public notice that council ran Wednesday in The Times-Tribune.
In April, the council discussed the possibility of using the app in Scranton to give citizens a way to report problems or issues. Now, a company representative will deliver, via speakerphone, a presentation on the app during today’s caucus, said Councilman Wayne Evans, a proponent of exploring whether the city should use the app.
“We’re certainly interested in it and seeing if it’s something we can implement,” Evans said.
The SeeClickFix app allows users to send photos of problem areas directly to City Hall. Once logged, a problem would get assigned to the proper department or employee to take care of it.
The app notifies senders their submissions were received and provides updates on the city’s progress addressing the submitted issue.
Council members also envision that the app could improve efficiency. The city would receive analytical information about the number and nature of problems logged, their locations and resolutions, and the length of time it takes to resolve them.
The idea for the app stems from general discussions between councilmembers and residents, business owners and others about ways to improve the city, Evans said. Earlier this year, council revived holding brainstorming sessions.
After hearing about an app approach to reporting maintenance and nuisance-type problems and tracking their fixes, Evans researched, found SeeClickFix and contacted the New Haven, Connecticut, company for information.
Cities using SeeClickFix include New Haven; Virginia Beach, Va.; Albany, N.Y.; Carbondale, Ill.; Bainbridge Island, Wash.; Howard County, Md.; Huntsville, Ala.; Houston; Vallejo and Corona, Calif.; Taylor, Mich.; Taunton, Mass. and St. Paul, Minn., according to the company’s website.
“It would be wonderful to add Scranton to the roster,” SeeClickFix CEO Ben Berkowitz said in a phone interview.
©2018 The Times-Tribune (Scranton, Pa.) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
