Libertyville to get its own mobile app
Smartphone users will have another way to communicate with Libertyville officials via a pending mobile application.
Within eight to 10 weeks, a Libertyville “app” is expected to be available as another tool in the village's evolution to dispense and receive more public information.
Village trustees this week approved a contract with Constituent Outreach Consultants of Chicago to produce the feature. Initially, it will be available on the operating systems for Apple mobile products such as iPhones and iPads. Android capability eventually will be added.
The start up cost is $1,000 and the annual maintenance fee is $1,800 for the product, which is emerging as another way besides websites or Facebook, for example, for communities to connect with their citizens.
“It's not much money on our end but it's a great opportunity to reach people,” said Trustee Jim Moran, who heads the village board's special projects and buildings committee. “I couldn't be more excited.”
Moran, whose successful campaign last year included making government more accessible, has pushed for website and other upgrades. He learned of a community-specific application used by the village of Forest Park and arranged for a company representative to meet with village staff.
The feature would provide two-way access, giving residents village contact information, such as a customized business directory, and allowing the village to provide news alerts.
“It also opens up the possibility for economic development. We'll have a business directory on the app. It gives the business owners in town another opportunity for exposure,” according to Moran.
“Down the road, we're going to wonder how we got by without an iPhone app or some of the other things we've been working on,” he said.
Among those are a village website upgrade, which debuted in January. The redesign also included new features, such as links to information regarding village board agenda items and minutes and audio of meetings.
Similar information for other village boards and commissions will be available in the future, though staff time has been a limiting factor, according to Assistant Village Manager Kelly Amidei.
The village also has launched a service request feature for potholes on the website and wants to expand the services, such as streetlight outages, residents can request and track.
To help with such matters, the village will be hiring a part-time communications assistant.