Hallandale, Florida, is a relaxed, tourist town located 20 miles from Miami Beach. Just close enough for our featured clerk, Jen Guillen, to slip away for seaside lunch breaks during the hectic workweek. Jen began her public service career in 2012 in Surfside, Florida, where she worked in the finance department. There, she developed a passion for public service that eventually led her to the City of Hallandale, where she currently serves as city clerk. Jen refers to Hallandale as a “homey” city and is always looking for innovative ways to connect with her community.
In this clerk spotlight, Jen discusses the role technology played in Hallandale’s transition to remote work during the pandemic. After in-person meetings were canceled in March of 2020, the city began streaming their public meetings online using Zoom and Granicus’ govMeetings Legistar solution, which includes a video streaming component. The convenience of online public meetings resulted in greater resident engagement overall. Because public meetings are indexed by agenda item, residents can view meetings in full or skip to view only a particular topic of interest. To comply with ADA regulations, the videos are also closed-captioned for the hearing impaired. Jen also mentioned govMeetings eComment, a digital public comment tool, and govAccess SpeakUp, a digital crowdsourcing forum—as critical software used to accommodate the welcomed uptick in community engagement.
“Granicus understands the vital role of city clerks. We are what keeps the city running and Granicus gets that.”
— Jenorgen M. Guillen, CMC
Watch the full clerk spotlight
Municipality: Hallandale Beach, Florida
Population: 39,940
Solution: govMeetings, govAccess
Website: hallandalebeach.gov
Speaker: Jenorgen M. Guillen, CMC, City Clerk, Hallandale, Beach, FL
