Elvira M. Skuzinski

October 4, 2022 | PSPA 612

A Virtual City Hall for the�City of Midwest Springfield

Virtual access to all city services

• Virtual hall systems offer one-stop online access to in-person processes
• Proposed in April by citizen initiative�Midwest Springfield Moving Forward
• On display last month at ICMA in Columbus
• Virtual city halls and town halls launched successfully in neighboring states last year

Virtual access to all city services

• City Council has laid a strong foundation
• Approved website redesign slated for FY 2020
• Over 90% of processes are already digitized
• 100% of the costs related to this project are covered by the IT Department’s Surcharge Fund
• GIS Master Plan, ongoing Operation ERP (in final phase), and upcoming 5G Fiber Optic Network will offer key structural and functional support

Current access to some city services

Virtual access to all city services

Virtual access to ALL city services

Virtual access to all city services

“You have many choices. This is why� you choose Midwest Springfield.”

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City Council has a clear vision for how to maintain�the City’s fiscal stability while anticipating the needs�of the community and encouraging newcomers.

A Virtual City Hall supports these strategic goals and the City’s new “Choices” branding campaign.

Furthers the City’s strategic goals

• Virtual City Hall aligns with FY 2022-23�four policy areas approved by City Council:

1: Engaging Everyone in E-Government

2: PEAK Service Performance

3: Safety and Security Pledge

4: Community Development

1. Engaging Everyone in E-Gov

• When technology (usually web-based) is used to give us access to government-provided services, this is e-governance (electronic government)
• Examples: FAFSA (studentaid.gov), HealthCare.gov, ssa.gov to apply for Social Security and Medicare
• Citizens rely on websites and apps every day
• A Virtual City Hall simply offers one gate through which all of the City’s services can be accessed

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1. Engaging Everyone in E-Gov

• Virtual City Hall makes government�more accessible and more convenient
• 2021 survey: residents and businesses want to interact more with their local government
• Citizens do not have time to attend meetings
• City’s current push notifications are limited
• Available on website and with mobile app

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2. PEAK Service Performance

• Virtual City Hall makes government �more transparent and more accountable
• City staff strive for higher quality service delivery by participating in PEAK training program:

Personable, Encouraged, Accountable, Knowledgeable

• Internal and external websites need to mirror each other to improve efficiency and data redundancy
• Residents and businesses want real-time data and one place to track all City transactions

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3. Safety and Security Pledge

• Virtual City Hall makes our community�more connected and more informed
• 2021 survey: citizens want faster and clearer communication in event of emergencies
• City’s current push notifications are limited
• Links to real-time public safety platforms
• Increased participation in crime prevention
• Better encryption and protection of data

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4. Community Development

• Virtual City Hall makes our community�more proactive and more visitor-friendly
• 2021 survey: citizens want to participate more with City and be more involved with decision making
• One legitimate, secure site for real-time access to the City’s calendar, venues, resources, plans, and budget
• Register, volunteer, booking a venue, buy a ticket…
• Market and share events and track data in real time
• Avoid paper-based campaigns, brochures, and sign-ups

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Citizens want more technology

• Virtual City Hall proposed by residents and businesses at April meeting of City Council
• Midwest Springfield Moving Forward citizen�initiative passed in November election
• 2021 survey: residents and businesses are willing to pay more to get more convenience
• Grants available to support investment in technology and increased bandwidth needed�to support more reliable e-governance

Minimal financial impact

Estimated annual costs after Year 1

Tech Surcharge Fund levied by IT Department in FY 2019 covers start-up costs in Year 1; represented here are Years 2 to 5

$25,000

IT Staff Hours

$3,000

POS Fees

$40,000 total�(fund bal $172K)

$3,000

Software Fees

$9,000

Custom ERP Modules

Maintenance and Management

• IT has the capacity to create, maintain, and manage the Virtual City Hall
• Success will be assessed using three performance metrics and is a continuous process

1: Tracking conversion rates

Were users able to successfully complete tasks?

2: Setting benchmarks based on KPIs

• New, returning, and unregistered (nonresident) users

• Pages per session and average page time

• Organic, seasonal, and event-related traffic

3: Reports, historical data, and best practices

Virtual City Hall 3-Phase Plan

• Virtual City Hall will be launched using same approach as past projects like Operation ERP
• Phase I: Beta site to improve design while monitoring interaction by users, both internal and external
• Phase II: Real-time site with addition of services, further integration of ERP’s forms platform and custom modules, application of best practices
• Phase III: Real-time translation into Spanish via Google platform, graphics to match future branding campaigns

Thank you!

Questions?

Elvira M. Skuzinski

A Virtual City Hall for the�City of Midwest Springfield