As part of his continuing effort to make Long Beach a leader in the use of technology to support city services, Councilmember Robert Garcia has proposed the creation of “Long Beach City App,” a smart-phone application that would enable residents to photograph and instantly report problems like graffiti, potholes, and other neighborhood blights to city staff. The application would determine and record the location of the reported issue using a GPS, and it would be able to determine the appropriate department to receive the report.
“This is a simple and inexpensive way to help beautify the neighborhoods, increase efficiency in the city, and to involve more residents, especially young people, in the community,” said Garcia. “I’m hopeful we can get this running in the first half of 2010.”
The measure is cosponsored by Councilmembers Gary DeLong and Patrick O’Donnell.
Pittsburgh edged out Boston earlier this year to become the first city to offer this service. Both cities have now had the application up and running successfully for several months.
“I think this will go a long way not only to beautifying the neighborhoods but also helping residents feel more empowered and more connected to city government,” said Garcia. “It’s really a win-win.”
Councilmember Garcia has requested that the city manager facilitate development of Long Beach City App before the January 19 City Council meeting.
