Community Corner
Newporters Can Now Report Potholes with a Smartphone App
See a pothole? Smell natural gas? Spot graffiti or garbage? Grab your phone: Report It! Newport has been released.
NEWPORT, RI—See a pothole? Catch a whiff of natural gas? Spot an overflowing garbage can or fresh graffiti on a public building?
Reporting quality of life issues in Newport is now as easy as a few taps on your iPhone or Android smartphone.
Newport on Thursday has officially released its new “Report It! Newport” app and web interface in an effort to make it more easy for residents to report issues in the city. It also is designed to make it much easier for city employees to track, prioritize and respond to those issues.
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“This is a great tool that will improve the communication between residents and the administration,” said City Councilor John Florez. “It solves the age old question of ‘when something is broken, who do I call to fix it?’”
Florez and his fellow City Council members were supportive of the idea, which was first raised years ago by members of the Knowing Newport listserv who thought it might be worth city review.
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The app and web interface is powered by See Click Fix and it presents an easy interface to report a problem, commend a town worker, contact neighbors and connect to the city’s Facebook and YouTube pages.
Reported problems are marked on a map, which gives the city a bird’s eye view of problems. Photos can be attached, too, which means that the city can clearly see if a problem is minor or severe without first having to send a crew down to inspect.
Best of all, residents can see issues reported by other residents. This could potentially eliminate duplicity concerns along with revealing issues that might not immediately be obvious.
Typical issues that can be reported include traffic or sign issues, potholes, trash, snow issues, issues on the Cliff Walk, beaches, town recreation facilities and parks and others.
The app could be expanded over time to other city departments.
Ultimately, city officials hope that the apps help residents feel empowered to affect change along with streamlining city operations. A report with an attached photo and a GPS-accurate dot on a map can be responded to faster and more efficiently than a phone call.
To visit the web interface, go HERE.
The App can be downloaded from the:
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