City Hall and other facilities in South Fulton may be closed, but city leaders are finding new ways to ensure residents have access to services and information.
The city has partnered with ITsimple to launch its own ItsMyTown app, a one-stop source for news and community information available in real time. The app is also used by the City of Alpharetta.
The app puts information about local events, programs, restaurants meetings and more right at users’ fingertips. But more importantly, it’s one of the easiest ways to get things done in South Fulton.
In just a few clicks you can apply for a building permit, report a street light outage, pay a fine or search for employment opportunities with the city. Access the directory, and with just one click you can call or email Mayor William “Bill” Edwards.
“We saw the wealth of opportunities this new tool opened for us in providing residents with the diverse range of information they wanted,” said Mayor William “Bill” Edwards. “This platform will allow us to bring our services to our residents in an effort to keep them informed and connected with all things City of South Fulton.”
The cloud-based platform draws information right from the web and includes a content management system allowing the city to push information directly to users. App users receive the city’s daily COVID-19 updates via the real-time alerts tool.
“As our efforts to ensure the safety of residents continue to evolve, sometimes daily, the app allows us to communicate those changes to residents directly and immediately,” said City Manager Odie Donald II. “This is another way we are leveraging technology to provide world- class service to those who live and work in our city.”
According to Ron Freeman, ITsimple founder and creator of the app, over 80 percent of Americans consume online information and services by using their mobile phones. He said most cities have now realized that sharing information via a website is simply not sufficient. It’s a trend made even more apparent as cities scramble to quickly and reliably share news related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The City of South Fulton recognized that a website by itself or even newsletters were simply not serving the public in the way they’ve become accustomed to – immediately and on-demand,” he said. “The recent unfortunate COVID-19 pandemic reinforces how technology can enhance public safety awareness and support a better quality of life.”
“South Fulton is deploying a project where the community can be served proactively with real-time alerts, critical and official information, and centralized services, all from the comfort of their homes or anywhere else with their mobile devices and without user registration, removing privacy concerns and social media dependencies,” Freeman continued.
ItsMyTown is available on the Apple App Store and through Google Play. Once the app is downloaded, users simply enter “South Fulton” or a zip code within the city and content is downloaded automatically.