Lack of Communication Leads to Frustration, Disengaged Citizens
Every day, citizens have countless interactions with government that can go unnoticed, such as monthly street cleaning or garbage removal.
While these services were being completed on time in Louisville, Kentucky, a record number of resident vehicles (about 13,000) were either ticketed or towed because of parking violations. Often related to street cleaning confusion, city staff knew they needed a way to better alert citizens of parking rules and updates related to street parking.
Finding a seamless way to connect with citizens on critical services could also make room for engagement on other city-related news. Previously, city communications relied on a basic listserv that required heavy involvement from the IT department. Further, it didn’t offer any features, reporting, or ways to integrate messaging into the city’s website. With the goal of improving engagement in public processes, Louisville set out to find a way to connect with citizens in a more effective way.
Initiating APIs and govDelivery Solutions to Connect with Citizens Directly
The City of Louisville introduced govDelivery to connect with citizens in real time on everything from service notifications to job opening announcements. Using the govDelivery API, staff implemented street sweeping notifications, enabling residents to more easily move their vehicles without getting a ticket. Within one year, street sweeping violations decreased by 42%. They also used the API to sign up residents and businesses for alerts regarding sanitation services, sending a text reminder for upcoming junk set-out dates.
Almost 20,000 people have now signed up for the street sweeping notifications in Louisville’s urban areas. Staff has also found govDelivery to be an effective tool for recruiting critical roles in Public Safety.
A larger audience means greater potential for sign-ups to receive information on specific topics of interest. More than 152,000 subscribers are signed up in one or more of Louisville’s 26 Metro Council districts. These district-based notifications help get the word out about planning, zoning, and proposed development. They’re also used to engage and gather feedback from residents and businesses.
“GovDelivery has given us a robust channel of communication we didn’t have before. Previously, we were relying on press releases, press conferences and our website. Now we can initiate and re-emphasis communication to those who have chosen to receive it,” said Louisville Digital Experience Manager Scott Render.
Achieving Reach While Saving Valuable Time
With help from the govDelivery Network, accounting for 22% of subscriber growth in the past year, Louisville increased its subscriber base to over 304,000 individuals – nearly half of the large city’s population.
The added benefit of implementing an API meant staff didn’t have to manually update service communications such as street cleaning notifications, saving valuable time and resources. The additional reporting and automation features have also proven critical for a time-strapped team with many responsibilities.
“Some of my favorite tools are [govDelivery’s] reporting tools and the ability to set up the texting and social media tools and have them do their thing automatically,” said Render. “Anything we can do that is automatic these days seems to be really popular.”
Ultimately, the ability to use reporting to gauge citizen engagement helps Louisville’s IT team achieve its mission to support “innovation, growth, and citizen engagement while enriching the quality of life of residents.”
