Residents are as tech-driven as ever and are taking more sophisticated approaches to accessing content. Much of the convenience and functionality they experience in the sleek, modern apps they use throughout their daily lives – be it social media, shopping or games – is now the standard for digital interactions in the public sector.
Your local code of ordinances doesn’t stop at a paper-bound codebook. Technology has provided the means to enhance your code of ordinances for both staff and the entire community in a variety of ways. Explore the following strategies you can implement to help modernize your code of ordinances.
HOST YOUR CODE ONLINE
The days of driving to city hall to thumb through a codebook are nearly a thing of the past. Instead, today’s digital codification solutions allow you to provide 24/7, contactless access to your local government code of ordinances to the entire community.
Hosting your code online allows staff, residents and businesses to:
- Filter searches
- Link to a specific section of the code
- Download sections of code in multiple formats
- Keep your code up-to-date
- Leverage Google Translate
- Access it 24/7, on any device
Modern residents deserve modern solutions that will meet their high expectations of being able to self-serve online, at any time.
UPDATE GENDERED LANGUAGE IN YOUR CODE
Removing gendered language from your code ensures it is inclusive to all residents living in your community. Examples of gendered language include policewoman, workman, fireman, and pronouns such as he, she, him, and hers.
It’s simple to change gendered words and phrases to something neutral, and this attention to detail on a topic such as inclusivity and transparency can build trust with your community.
OBTAIN A LEGAL REVIEW OF YOUR CODE
If you haven’t had your local government code reviewed in a decade or longer, it may be time for a professional, legal review. This review consists of a skilled code attorney looking through your local government code and recommending changes. This review ensures your code:
- Is compliant with state law
- Does not include conflicting or duplicate ordinances
- Removes obsolete items and sunsets provisions
LINK TO YOUR STATE LAW REFERENCES
Link your state law references and show how state statutes affect your ordinances. This modification can increase transparency by providing resources on both local and state laws.
PROVIDE THE ABILITY TO SIGN UP FOR NOTIFICATIONS
Keep your community and staff updated when your code of ordinances changes by allowing them to sign up for email notifications. Allow people to customize their experience by setting preferences on when to be notified of changes made to the code.
ARCHIVE, TRACK CHANGES, COMPARE VERSIONS
Local government code continually changes. It’s easy to lose track of previous versions and challenging to track precisely how your code has changed over time. Your codification solution should be able to keep track of each time your code is updated online and create a permanent archive of the previous versions. This tracking is crucial for FOIA requests and makes providing the requested information painless.
UTILIZE AN ONLINE ORDINANCE REPOSITORY
An online ordinance repository allows you to access all your ordinances in one place. Staff can search all ordinances simultaneously, create links to original ordinances anywhere in your code and provide links to pending legislation to the affected sections of your local government code.
POST ADOPTED ORDINANCES NOT YET CODIFIED
Provide more transparency within your code by including adopted but not yet codified ordinances within your code of ordinances. Add amended badges to guide visitors through the table of contents directly to the section(s) amended by the enacted but not yet codified legislation.
BUILD AN IMPORTANT PUBLIC DOCUMENT ARCHIVE
Store any public documents, from minutes to permits within your code. These essential documents can simultaneously be searched and filtered alongside your existing code of ordinances.
INTEGRATIONS TO IMPROVE TRANSPARENCY
When your online code and website integrate, users benefit from the ability to do a simultaneous search of your website and online code. Local governments should prominently display code of ordinances for maximum visibility, either as featured linked content or embedded directly on the page.
Automatically post any legislation adopted in a meeting to your online code and submit it to your codified list. This transparent posting allows local governments to link adopted legislation to meeting agendas, minutes and videos.
IN CONCLUSION
A community’s code of ordinances is one of the most important resources any local government must provide its residents. Ensuring that your code content stays up to date and is accessible digitally is vital to maintaining trust and transparency for your residents. Incorporating these steps into your overall code maintenance and sharing strategy will help modernize your code processes and give you the best chance to provide a positive civic experience to residents looking to engage and interact with their local government.
About Us: CivicPlus® delivers technology that enables municipalities to optimize the experiences they deliver to residents. Over 7,500 local governments use our solutions when serving their 340 million residents. We deliver the industry’s only Civic Experience Platform, which enables municipalities to drive more revenue, operate more efficiently, and generate positive recognition.
