City app gives residents 21st century access to municipal services

The State Journal
Anna Latek
Sep 15, 2022 Updated 15 hrs ago

Are you tired of leaving message after message with City Hall and not knowing when or if your issues will be addressed? 

Well, now there’s an app for that. 

The app, which is run through the SeeClickFix portal and can be found under “City of Frankfort, KY” in your app store, links with the city’s existing work ticket system and will notify workers in appropriate departments of issues down to an exact address.  

Unveiled at Monday’s Board of Commissioners meeting, the new app allows users to photograph and report issues from potholes to power outages, and access municipal agencies and information in the palm of their hands. The app is available for download now on both iOS and Android platforms, as well as on the web at https://seeclickfix.com/frankfort_2.  

Frankfort Community Development Director Blair Hecker and GIS Technician Courtney Fallis presented the Board with a test run of what the app is capable of.

“We started meeting over a year ago to walk through this app and think about what we wanted it to be. In this initial stage, we are using it as a way for citizens to more easily report on things to us," Hecker said. "But you’ll see when you get on the app that it links you to a lot of other things we do within the city.  

“This truly will become a place where residents and visitors can keep track of what’s happening in the City of Frankfort.” 

The app launched early September, and there is a video available on the city’s Facebook page that demonstrates exactly how the app works. It is a comprehensive application, with the eventual capability to connect people in Frankfort to each of the city’s departments.  

“We are still allowing anyone to report issues to us the way we always have — call City Hall, leave a message, send an email, talk to a department head or commissioner — and that will still get back to us and be addressed. This is just adding another way for people to report things.” 

Some of the app’s features include a portal to upload photos with geotagging or manual address information to report potholes, traffic issues, solid waste problems, and even request extra “Step Up” patrols from the Frankfort Police Department.  

Fallis emphasized this point, telling the board, “It really helps us know what resources need to be sent out. This will keep us from wasting resources by sending out stuff we don’t need, and so we know when we need bigger resources.” 

Users will have the option to create an account, which will allow the city to update them via email as to the status of their report. Users can also submit issues as a guest. 

The app will also allow users to create anonymous safety reports; if they witness or experience a crime or want to report unlawful behavior to the police, reports can be made and will remain anonymous to protect against retaliation.  

Users who create accounts will also have the option to receive push notifications from the app with updates on road closures and conditions, power outages, and other events throughout the community.