City of Santa Monica releases mobile application

Eloise GrahamStaff WriterTree limbs in the street, potholes, graffiti. Santa Monica’s “On the GO” app can fix all of these problems.“It’s a mobile extension of our citizen response system,” Santa Monica’s Chief Information Officer, Jory Wolf, said. “Instead of being on a computer, you’re on a smart phone.”The government-issued “On the GO” app for smart phone users allows people to tell the city about potholes that need filling, trees that need maintenance, graffiti that needs removing and other problems around the city. It is currently available for the Android and the Apple iPhone.“Everything gets uploaded to our database so you can check on and track the status of the issue,” Wolf said.To submit a problem to the city, all users must do is select an issue from the app’s menu and tap submit — a photo may be attached if the user so chooses. The app then sends the exact location, photo and message directly to a staff member who will fix the problem.“It’s very simple to download and it’s very simple to use. It’s just a click of a couple buttons,” Wolf said. “Also, it really speeds communication between the public and city staff.”The app uses the GPS and camera features built into the phones to make it simple for residents to report issues around the city. Notifications and requests are routed to a designated person at City Hall immediately, and status updates may also be received on the resident’s mobile device. According to Wolf, this method is efficient and saves the city time and money. In many cases it also allows for a more rapid response to service requests from the public.“It has already helped considerably. We found that in the first three months, 27 percent of all the requests came through the mobile app. After six months, it went up to 38 percent,” Wolf said. “It’s paperless, it’s immediate and it makes good use of virtual technology.”egraham@thesamohi.com