By JONATHAN SNYDER
Bluffton’s government is taking a turn towards digital processes with new software currently in development.
The new software aims to allow better governmental communication with its citizens, enable citizens to report issues directly to the proper organizations via online forms and improve overall efficiency within Bluffton’s government.
Over the past year, Bluffton Common Council member Scott Mentzer discussed how Bluffton could improve the online payment process for utilities and other transactions. Eventually, these conversations led Mentzer to take a broader view of Bluffton’s intercommunication with its constituents.
“I wanted to take a step back from that and have sort of a more core holistic question, which is, let’s not just focus on how people do transactions at the utility office,” said Mentzer. “Let’s ask ourselves, ‘How does the public interact with the city in all respects, and how can we make all of those interactions as efficient and as effective as possible?’”
CivicPlus, a web development company in Kansas, is developing the new software. They serve nearly 70 municipalities in Indiana and were selected after deliberation by Mentzer, City Engineer Kelly White, and Information Systems Director Karen Morris. Mentzer then presented the software to the Common Council, who approved CivicPlus’ bid to develop it.
Along with online utilities, the software will allow developers and citizens to create and manage permit applications, payments, inspections and contract credentials. It will also include a citizens request tool, where people can directly contact Bluffton committees and boards about issues and violations. Citizens can then receive electronic updates about the process of resolving the problem.
“Right now, if you have an issue in the city … you don’t really have … just a one-stop shop where you’re saying, ‘Hey, I have this problem,’” said White. “The citizen request tool is trying to come up with a process so our citizens can get problems or issues directly to the city without having to call like 50 different numbers to get the right person.”
“A lot of the things that we do anymore these days, we either do on our computer or on our phone. We’re doing it digitally, remotely, not in person,” said Mentzer.
The new software will also allow easier access to different items on the Geographic Information System map. The current site allows viewers to see zoning and floodplain data, but the new system will let developers see water mains and sewer lines. The software will also aid the city in managing new subdivisions, plats, site plans and other projects relating to planning and zoning.
Another of Bluffton’s goals for the new software includes more straightforward navigation by redesigning the city’s website. White acknowledges the challenges of navigating the current website, and Mentzer would like to see citizens able to access the information or organization they want to see in less than five clicks.
“Our website is really clunky,” White said. “It’s really hard to get around. It’s not very user-friendly, and so the whole basis (of the upgrade) is making us a more user-friendly … business really.”
After demonstrating the software, Mentzer and White reviewed CivicPlus’s with other cities around Indiana, including Elkhart, Greenville and Lafayette.
“A lot of them have noticed, especially since COVID, that there’s this need to interact better with our citizens or customers of how are we getting information in and out,” said White.
2024 will see the implementation and maintenance of the software funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, which needs to be spent in the next couple of years. There will be a yearly maintenance cost to keep the software running, but Mentzer believes the added government efficiency will offset that.
“The expectation is that we should certainly pick that up through the efficiency of work inside the city,” said Mentzer. “But more importantly, the expectation is because this will help in our relationship with developers, that this is going to attract more development to the city. And that new development will easily pay for any ongoing costs that the software is going to give us.
Mentzer projects the website redesign will take about four to six months to complete, and the software itself will be implemented in six to nine months. The communication between the city and the public and the added efficiency of the software are reasons why Mentzer sees this project as beneficial for all parties involved.
“I would just say that this is one of those projects where I think everybody sees a benefit,” said Mentzer. “Residents benefit, businesses see a benefit, staff sees a benefit.”
jonathan@news-banner.com
