Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/70379
an "Other" category in which submitters can enter details specific to their concern. These issues then are turned over to the appropriate city department or, if it deals with something not controlled by the city, to the appropriate responsible agency. YourGOV submittals to the city of Golden also tell another interesting tale. The city can tell from which medium—Web or smartphone—submittals come from. Not surprisingly, 63 percent of YourGOV submit- tals are coming in via smartphones, and this trend is increasing. What has been surprising was the technology's adop- tion by city employees. Because most city employees already carry a smartphone, they have taken it upon themselves to download the YourGOV application and submit issues that don't relate to their department. Issues that previously weren't reported in a timely fashion now are coming directly into the city's work- management database and are dealt with rapidly. Marketing With virtually no budget to market YourGOV, the city has had to find creative ways to promote the applica- tion. YourGOV is featured prominently on the city's Web site (www.cityofgolden.net), with detailed instructions and definitions of how the application can be used. Periodic Twitter blasts are sent with YourGOV statis- tics or reminders to followers to check out YourGOV. Advertisements and stories in a monthly publication the city sends out help to increase YourGOV exposure, attracting people to the application based on spikes in usage and registered users. A number of customer-service surveys have been sent to registered users of YourGOV to see what people dislike and like about the application. The response rate has averaged approximately 45 per- cent, and, from the results, 76 percent of users had positive experiences. The city's goal is to increase the exposure of YourGOV and create a positive experience for all users. Golden's implementation of YourGOV has garnered recognition. Not surprisingly, most registered users of YourGOV live in Golden, but many have registered outside the city and state of Colorado. YourGOV won the 2010 Colorado Chapter of the American Public Works Association award for Public Relations—Public Awareness/Community Involvement in a Small Community. In 2011, the city received a Citizen Transparency award for its use of YourGOV. In addition, Golden's use of YourGOV has been featured in various industry publications, local newspapers and presentations. The Pothole Hotline still is going strong, but it's nice to see that reports of potholes and other issues now are coming in via YourGOV with more-detailed infor- mation available for staff to make better decisions After submitting an issue to the city of Golden, users are notified that their complaint has been entered into the system. location of an issue, in this case a pothole, a picture and other details can be included prior to submittal. After selecting the in determining a solution. Although the phone calls haven't been completely eliminated, they have been reduced, freeing staff time that can be dedicated to other areas. As new enhancements are added and new market- ing ideas are explored, the city hopes that all its citi- zens start to use the application. Doing so is just one way to keep the citizens of Golden involved and active in the community. Quintin R. Pertzsch is with the city of Golden GIS Department; e-mail: QPertzsch@cityofgolden.net. JUNE 2O12 / WWW . GEOPLA CE . COM 17