Sartell now has a nifty online program through which to report neighborhood concerns that could range from traffic signals that don’t work to complaints about unsightly litter, stray animals or flooding incidents.
The program, called SeeClickFix, is designed to maximize residents’ participation in city issues via online and a mobile interface. Residents who use it can send photographs taken with cell phones of the concerns or problems they are addressing.
A user can request categories via the City of Sartell website, mobile applications such as iPhone or Android, Facebook applications and through SeeClickFix.com.
When submitting issues or concerns (say, a missing stop sign) via a mobile app, for example, residents can provide locational, descriptive and photographic information as they see the issue in real time. Once the resident submits an issue, the reporter (Sartell) and anyone “watching” that area will receive an “alert.” Sartell can then acknowledge the service request, route it to the proper department and then update the request (and other residents following that particular issue) once the issue has been resolved. Residents can also submit issues anonymously.
Residents can even create their own “watch” areas to receive updates about all issues reported in their areas, enabling them to follow the progress of all service requests, not just the ones they themselves report.
Reports can be submitted and tracked from the Sartell website directly at www.sartellmn.com/seeclickfix. There, residents will also find links to download the mobile applications.
Launched in 2008, SeeClickFix allows people anywhere in the world to report and monitor non-emergency issues, including potholes, garbage and graffiti, to name just three.
The goal is to help residents, groups, media and governments work together to improve the quality of life in neighborhoods. It’s now the most widely distributed citizen-reporting tool in the nation, having recently surpassed the reporting of one million issues.