The city of Columbus has introduced a new app that aims to make it easier for citizens to report code violations.
City Code Enforcement Officer Tomarris Jones said the app, GORequest, officially went up for free on the Apple Store and Google Play last week. He said the app, which the company Government Outreach developed for the city, is another way for people to report violations such as dilapidated structures.
Anyone with the app can use it to report abandoned and unsecured structures, dilapidated structures, junk and debris, weeds or overgrown vegetation and other violations.
The city pays Government Outreach $200 a month for software services. Jones said the app is included in that cost.
He said the app allows citizens to submit reports anonymously or with their contact information. It also allows them to add comments.
Reports submitted through the app also include a GPS location of the violation the code enforcement office can then use to find it.
“Sometimes, when people send in reports, they’ll just say it’s an overgrown lot but not have the address correct,” Jones said. “With this, it will show the actual location so when I go out, I know exactly what to look for.
“It’s just another set of eyes out there to help me out,” he added.
Jones said people can still report violations to the code enforcement office at 662-329-5147. The app, for those who choose to use it, is just another way to submit reports.
“You can still call into the action center,” he said. “Or if you choose not to download the app, you can go to the code enforcement page at the city of Columbus website (www.thecityofcolumbusms.org) and submit a report there. … They can follow the request all the way from the opening of a case to the closing of a case.”
The code enforcement office normally gets 40-60 reports a month during the grass season, which stretches from March to November, Jones said. The office will review reports it receives through the app the same way it reviews any other report, beginning with a check to make sure there is actually a code violation.
Jones also noted taking care of a code violation often takes more time than people expect.
“A lot of the time, people will submit a report and expect something to be done about it immediately,” he said. “But if there is a violation, we have to give the owners time and a chance for due process.”
City Public Information Officer Joe Dillon said the app should add some convenience for citizens who want to submit reports. He said he’d like to see the city consider additional apps to streamline other processes, where possible.
“I think it’s a good way to add a level of customer service to what the city does,” Dillon said. “Navigating the path of government can get complicated. This is a one-button stop.”
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
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