The City of Raleigh sent out this breathless press release this week touting a new mobile application called SeeClickFix. People can use the service to report things around the city that need attention, such as a traffic light that needs replacing, graffiti that needs to be removed, etc. It’s a very useful service: one that I plan to use on a regular basis.
The only issue is the press release itself. It reads as if Bonner developed the whole thing himself:
Raleigh City Councilor Bonner Gaylord has launched a new web and smartphone application that allows any individual within District E to report non-emergency problems such as graffiti and potholes as well as request public facilities such as sidewalks or stop signs.
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The smartphone app, which is among the first in the nation for a city council member, can be downloaded from www.BonnerGaylord.com for iPhone, Blackberry and Android operating systems and incorporates the functionality of the website, but with additional GPS-enabled features.
I know Bonner and like him. He’s is the City Council liaison to the Parks board on which I serve. He’s a smart guy and is a great addition to the Council. That said, I know that between his day job managing North Hills, his Council duties, and his young and growing family at home, there is no way he has time to sit down and launch a cool new web service. Yes Bonner is a developer, but not the kind that writes software.
The fact is that SeeClickFix is a nationwide service that has been around since 2007, long before Bonner became a council member. Many council districts can sign up, as can other cities in other states. There is nothing in SeeClickFix that limits it to Bonner’s District E constituency. Someone (not me) has even an East Raleigh “watch area.”
So what happened here? It looks like the city’s public affairs department went a little over the top with the press release, perhaps not understanding Bonner’s actual role here. I imagine he may be a little embarrassed at the way the release is written.
I’m not knocking Bonner. He has a good grasp of technology and I’m glad to see he’s seeking out new ways of using it to get city business done. I’m also glad to see some of the city departments following his lead. Hopefully the press release won’t make it seem like it’s just a District E innovation and that it’s open to everyone in Raleigh.
Update 3:30 PM: I spoke with Bonner, who agrees the press release was a bit overblown. Bonner did take the initiative to subscribe to the service, providing him a more enhanced “dashboard” for tracking problems as they are reported.
Bonner sees SeeClickFix as a good way to hold the government accountable: when a citizen reports a problem in the city it’s out there for all to see. That means things don’t fall through the cracks. Thanks, Bonner, for the innovative leadership!