etownblog.org

Welcome to etownblog.org, a Web site created as a public-service  information resource regarding municipal cost savings through better, more efficient local government.

This site is hosted and moderated by Progeos, a web-based software company dedicated to municipal cost savings and improved services.   As part of our mission we have devoted a portion of our resources to help create this conduit to information, collaboration and cost savings measures to help towns and cities across the United States.

Please read through the posts on this blog for links and stories about municipal cost saving measures.

And — please — take a moment to contribute your input, information links, and other valuable data that you come across.  Together, let’s help expand the scope of knowledge for the public’s benefit.

Sincerely,

The Moderators of etownblog.org

The summer months are upon us and the local news is full of reports on Town Hall “short weeks.” Although this is good for the budget, it can have negative effects on local residents and businesses. The inability to request services on weekends and now Fridays or Mondays can make it difficult, particularly if you work or run a business that requires town support. But this issue results from “brick and mortar” town hall processes. When services can be requested from the web, these limitations disappear if town processes and employees are “web enabled”. For example, many permits can be applied and paid for via the web. Although physical inspections and drawings may be required for some permits, much of the application and tracking process can still occur 24 x7. If the inspectors and other department personnel are connected to the web, appointments, reviews and approvals become much more flexible.

The same also holds for other service requests, such as repairs or removals, that can be made over the web and responded to at any time. With the reducing cost of web connected phones and other devices, more and more citizens and town personnel can connect forming a virtual town hall that costs less to maintain but serves local citizens and businesses better than before!

I recently read James Glassman’s book review “The Cyber Way to Knowledge” in the Wall Street Journal. The review of the book  “Liberating Learning”  by Terry Moe and John Chubb indicated several themes that resonate equally well with municipal governements. Just as K-12 education is faced with the need for reforms, so too are municipal services. The potential of technology to enable fewer teachers per student, outsourcing, accountability and cost savings applies equally well to municipal services. The parallels are too strong to ignore. I encourage reading this book as you think about taking municipal services to a higher levels of service, productivity and accountability - at lower cost.

A recent story from the Springfield Republican  talks about reducing hours at city offices to reduce budget costs: “Easthampton budget cuts force reduced hours at muncipal offices“. In etown, offices may close but services are still available.

I was just reading an article about a consultant who recommended reducing the local town budget by sharing maintenance services between the town and the local school system. Although I don’t know how much sharing is possible based on needs, timing,  and equipment/ material demands, it’s worth considering. For example, snow and leaf removal, grounds maintenance, and some building maintenance would appear to have common needs. Also, the ability to reduce costs by combining cleaning services and supplies also appear feasible. However, the realization of benefits requires an integrated approach to requesting, processing and executing requests that spans the different environments and jurisdictions of the municipal and educational systems. Web based service request management can provide the vehicle for linking these environments but the hard work of agreeing on services, processes, responsibilities and  ”who pays for what” still remains. From my perspective, the hard work is justified. The savings appear to be large and, done appropriately, service can improve for both our children and our towns.

Progeos, a Connecticut based municipal software and technology firm, has distributed a recent press release that describes their newest low-cost, web-based municipal software.  This new this new technology is aimed at saving municipalities countless dollars in software and technology costs while at the same time improving access and efficiency.

Towns across America discover a Web-based system from Progeos that dramatically reduces land and property management expenses.

80% less installation cost than traditional systems. Leverages a town’s existing technology. Operates with a simple Web browser and PDF reader.

HARTFORD–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Progeos (www.progeos.com), a Connecticut-based municipal software and technology firm, continues to help America’s towns and cities “reinvent government” with a suite of Web-based GIS (Geographic Information System) enabled, e-government services that can save municipalities significant operating expenses, month after month.

Savings occur immediately.

The Progeos system eliminates the need for traditional hardware and software systems. Progeos leverages a municipality’s existing technology, and can be up and running in just days — not the months traditionally required.

Progeos harnesses the efficiencies of the Web.

As the system is entirely Web based, any computer equipped with a Web browser and a simple PDF reader can become a powerful GIS workstation.

Fully modular. Implement only what’s needed — and expand at any time.

Progeos provides plug ‘n’ play services for:

· GIS based land management

· Property management: property look up, abutters lists

· Request management: entering, processing, and executing service requests

· Permit management: creation and tracking of permits

· Code management: code tracking and enforcement

More than money savings. Progeos provides new sources of revenue for your town.

For instance, online Permit Management lets residents apply and get approvals for the vast majority of all of your town’s permit requirements. Create a 24/7 “Virtual Town Hall” for an automated, around-the-clock, profit center — while your residents enjoy enhanced services.

Affordable by any municipality.

Until now, only large cities could afford such advanced GIS capabilities. But now, for a fraction of the cost, Progeos gives your town the tools to save money, generate revenue, and enhance community services. For more information, please visit www.progeos.com.

Contact:

Progeos, Inc.

Matt Schleicher, 860-896-5274

matts@progeos.com

As you may know by now the federal government has been using www.recovery.gov to keep citizens informed about the spending of the federal stimulus dollars.  But what is exactly on www.recovery.gov?  The following will explain some of the features and highlights:

Once users reach www.recovery.gov they are greeted with a graphic that displays some of the featured programs and spending forecasts.  Users can scroll through these featured stories to learn about how their tax dollars are being used.  Also on the home page are a number of press releases about the latest available and spent funds, including a number of stories about recent education funding throughout the country.

To find out about funding opportunities a user can click on the Opportunities link at the top of the page.  Here users can find links to recovery-related jobs, grants and business opportunities with the federal government.  Towards the bottom of the Opportunities page users can find out what is happening in their own state. Users can visit a state’s recovery page to find out about local projects, available stimulus money and future grant opportunities.   To access each state’s recovery web page visit this page.

The final section of www.recovery.gov that I would like to share with you today is the Investments page.  Here users can view the general trends in stimulus spending and what sectors of the American economy are receiving stimulus funds.  Users can also view spending by category, state or by agency.  For state spending, users can click their state on the interactive map to view the federal stimulus dollars being spent.

Overall, www.recovery.gov, coupled with your state’s recovery website provide a good starting resource to local municipal leaders to learn about how federal stimulus dollars are being spent and about future funding and business opportunities.  For more information visit your state’s recovery site to learn more about how your municipality can apply for future stimulus dollars.