Buffalo Grove close to unveiling phone app

Buffalo Grove residents will be able to get the latest information about the village and several other local government bodies on their iPhones or Androids.

This week, Buffalo Grove residents were updated on the multijurisdictional app project. The app is scheduled for a soft launch in January. Once the village deems it ready for a wide launch, all village residents will be able to receive it.

It will provide updates from all levels of government. Participating along with Buffalo Grove will be the park district, Buffalo Grove High School, Stevenson High School, Kildeer Countryside District 96 and Aptakisic Tripp District 102, Vernon Township, the Vernon Area Public Library and the Indian Trails Public Library.

Andy Todd, chief operating officer for Constituent Outreach Consultants Inc., which is working with the village on the project, said it would be a one-stop source in an iPhone and Android application for information.

He said it will allow news feeds from the units of government, as well as event feeds. It will also incorporate social media.

A contact form within the app will allow people to interact with their local governments, such as asking a question or reporting a problem, he said.

“If they see a streetlight is out in the park, they can take a picture of the streetlight with the phone, they can send the GPS location that the streetlight is out, and that will go to the park district for their maintenance crews to deal with. If it’s a village streetlight, it will go to public works.”

The app is free and will contain no commercial advertising.

Todd said the app will cost the village a $185 per month maintenance fee.

Other units of government would have to pay to build other services and applications on to the platform provided by the village, village Manager Dane Bragg said.