Schaumburg Places Seventh in Digital Cities Survey

The Village of Schaumburg announced it has placed seventh in the 2019 Digital Cities Survey, which recognized cities using technology to tackle social challenges, enhance cybersecurity, improve transparency and more. Schaumburg is the only Illinois community ranked in this year's survey.

"Technology remains at the core of the village's efforts to provide the best possible services in the most financially responsible manner," said Peter Schaak, Director of Information Technology. "The staff of the Information Technology department takes tremendous pride in the quality of the systems and applications they provide, and I am honored to have the department's hard work recognized."

Open to all U.S. cities, the survey honors cities in five population classifications: 500,000 or more, 250,000 to 499,999; 125,000 to 249,999; 75,000 to 124,999 and fewer than 75,000. Schaumburg was ranked seventh in cities with a population fewer than 75,000.

The village completed a number of technology initiatives in 2019 to increase efficiency and safety including:

• Expansion of the village's WebPay online payment system to make it easier for residents and businesses to submit payment for various services and fees.

• Creation of a Safe Transfer Zone monitored by 24/7 video coverage, providing a safe place for online purchase exchanges at the Public Safety Building.

• Expanded use of automated electronic communications to improve customer service for water service customers.

• Installation of a security camera network in and around key village facilities to provide visibility into critical public spaces allowing village staff to monitor and respond to security events in village facilities.

• Implementation of an in-building emergency alert system at the Robert O. Atcher Municipal Center.

"I applaud the village's Information Technology Department for continuing to enhance operations to improve the way customers interact with the village," said Village Manager Brian Townsend. "Providing high-quality service to our residents, businesses and visitors is important, and the village's IT Department is a key component in leveraging the latest technology to enhance interactions with the public."

The top-10 ranked cities will be honored at an awards dinner during the National League of Cities' annual conference in San Antonio, TX, on Thursday, Nov. 21.

The Center for Digital Government is a national research and advisory institute on information technology policies and best practices in state and local government. The center is a division of e.Republic, the nation's only media and research company focused exclusively on state and local government and education.

For more information on the survey and this year's winners, visit the Center for Digital Government's website at https://bit.ly/2qRYrvj.