The City of Brockton has announced it is institutionalizing an e-government platform, in line with Mayor Robert Sullivan’s goal to modernize city government.
The platform, titled “Citizenserve,” is designed to bring the City forward into the digital age, providing the opportunity for Brocktonians to submit online license and permit applications rather than solely having the option of visiting City Hall.
Citizenserve also hits Mayor Sullivan’s pledge for local government in Brockton to be more transparent. The platform gives both the City and its residents the ability to keep track of licenses, permits, and code enforcement.
“Transparency with information is a key component for moving the City of Brockton forward,” said Mayor Robert Sullivan. “For current and prospective residents and business owners to feel supported by the local government, it is crucial to allow unfiltered access to information, empowering them to make more informed decisions about their project(s). I am extremely excited about this new e-government platform and look forward to it enhancing the efficiency of our local government for future generations.”
Among the special features available to residents is the ability to monitor their permits and licenses by providing 24/7 access to comments, drawings, documents, etc., for their project(s).
The Building Department is the first of the City departments to begin utilizing Citizenserve, with the Board of Health, the Department of Planning & Economic Development, and the License Commission to follow.
“The introduction of CitzenServe to our office will allow for unfettered access to building department applications, the documents accompanying these applications, and the steps needed to transform an application into a building permit,” said Inspector of Buildings/Building Superintendent James Plouffe. “Through this new program, the citizens of Brockton will be able to track their application, and react in real-time to any needs identified by the City in pursuit of their permit.”
Before this new platform, the Building Department used “PeopleGIS” to keep track of important documents. Citizenserve is user-friendly and allows the City to execute its goal to digitize filing systems like the Zoning Board of Appeals, making all its records available online.
Prior to the onset of Citizenserve, pre-existing data will be available by contacting the Building Department. The collection of new data via Citizenserve will commence on April 4th.
If there are any questions about the software or if you are experiencing issues, please feel free to contact Monica Fragoso at 508-580-7150.