by Dennis Dalman
A new online public-input program was recently introduced by the City of Sartell so residents and city decision-makers can communicate with one another in real-time.
Sartell is now teamed up with what’s called “Polco” to better inform residents so they can become involved with city projects they care about. People can communicate anonymously while weighing in with their opinions and insights about decisions under consideration by the city.
Polco is an engagement and data-analytics company that will allow the city to engage with residents beyond just at public meetings. It gathers real-time feedback, assesses results of decisions and policies, and tracks progress over time.
“Partnering with Polco allows us to tap into the pulse of our community in real-time, ensuring our decision-making is both informed and reflective of our residents’ true priorities,” said Sartell City Administrator Anna Gruber. “It’s an invaluable tool in our mission to serve the residents of Sartell in the best way possible.”
On Jan. 3, a survey was mailed out to a random sampling of Sartell residents. And then, on Jan. 30, an “Open Participation Survey” will be launched online on which all residents and businesses can participate. The open-participation survey will close on Feb. 14. On or after Jan. 30, residents who want to join the open-participation survey should go to the Sartell City website and then click on the link for Open Participation Survey. After survey results are compiled, they will be shared on the city’s webpage.
In the meantime, people can create a personal free account on Polco at polco.us/n/res/signup.
By creating an account, a person can get notified when the city or local organizations need residents’ input, and those who sign up for accounts can be included so they get a set of responses from trusted, verified accounts. The responses from account users are, according to Polco, confidential and personal information is never shared.
By creating an account, people will receive surveys for a variety of topics they choose. They will receive results and outcomes for surveys they completed, as well as a weekly listing of available surveys to fill out.
More about Polco
Polco is an award-winning platform designed to bring people and data together to help build strong cities. Polco’s website states it allows city leaders and residents to communicate on major policies, goals and projects, all while strengthening public trust.
Polco works with more than 400 cities in North America. To learn more, go to info.polco.us.
