Nestled along California’s central coastline, Santa Cruz is a vibrant city known for its stunning vistas and exceptional surfing, attracting tourists and home to approximately 65,000 residents. Community engagement has always been a cornerstone for both citizens and city officials, with a strategic emphasis on fostering an informed and involved community. Recognizing the pivotal role of technology in this mission, Santa Cruz city council has focused on modernizing their approach to meet residents’ evolving needs.

Embracing Technology for Better Community Engagement

Laura Schmidt, the IT Director for the City of Santa Cruz, was tasked with updating the city’s technology to better serve the community. With a lean IT team of 20 supporting the entire city and a small applications team of four managing over 80 applications, efficiency and cost-effectiveness were paramount. The existing method of using multiple commercial off-the-shelf systems was financially unsustainable and inefficient due to disparate systems.

“We needed something flexible, adaptable, and highly productive while remaining cost-effective,” Schmidt explained. The solution lay in low-code development, a model-driven approach that supports Agile development, enabling the rapid creation of applications without extensive coding. The team selected Mendix as their low-code platform of choice, which Schmidt praised for its control and flexibility.

Launching the Community Request for Service Portal

Identifying a priority project was straightforward. The city needed a streamlined way for residents to report issues like traffic concerns, vandalism, or service requests. Previously, the process was convoluted, with different submission methods spread across various departmental web pages, some using Adobe Forms, others through a content management system, and some simply requiring a phone call.

Schmidt’s team, aiming for a cohesive solution, decided to create a modern platform that could evolve with the city’s needs. With the assistance of Mendix partner EPI-USE, they developed the Community Request for Service Portal in just three weeks. This web and mobile application provides a centralized location for citizens to request services and file reports, from bike hazards to graffiti.

Streamlining Processes and Enhancing Efficiency

The development process involved collaboration with various city departments to gather insights from employees who manage these requests daily. The result was a streamlined and enhanced request process, allowing users to upload photos and geolocation data with their requests. Schmidt emphasized the importance of being responsible and responsive to the community, ensuring the portal offered robust features that met residents’ needs.

The portal also equips the city with valuable data, enabling better-informed decisions and the ability to identify trends and address issues more systemically. Schmidt highlighted the portal’s dual benefits: improving operational efficiency and fostering community engagement.

Building for the Future

While the Community Request for Service Portal is still in its initial phase, Schmidt has plans to expand its capabilities and add new service request types. Future IT initiatives will leverage the Mendix Platform, providing a foundation for ongoing development projects. The platform allows the IT team to control enhancements, customize solutions, and make data-driven decisions.

For Schmidt, the value of low-code development is clear: it enables the creation of beneficial tools for the community while integrating with city processes to enhance efficiency. The portal represents more than an IT project; it symbolizes a significant improvement in the city’s technology services, fostering connections between departments and bridging the gap between local government and the community.

“The team really came together, always prioritizing what was best for the community,” Schmidt concluded, reflecting on the collaborative effort that brought the project to fruition. The centralized request portal stands as a testament to Santa Cruz’s commitment to innovative solutions that enhance community engagement and operational efficiency.

Photo by Ian Mackey (unsplash.com)