Howard County officials have launched a new app “TellHoCo”, which directly connects citizens with the agencies responsible for fixing various municipal problems.

The Baltimore Sun article states that the

new Howard County web and mobile application is trying to make notifying the government of a downed tree or pothole as easy as sending a text.

…

“Our goal is to bring the most efficient, effective government to the citizens of Howard County,” said County Executive Ken Ulman. “I believe we are known as a county that gets things done, and this is an important step.”

Residents can download the free app from the iTunes or Google Play store and use it to report a variety of issues, including dead animals, graffiti, potholes, downed trees and streetlights in need of repair by locating the problem on a map and entering in a few details. The app notifies the agency in charge of making the fix.

Currently, the Department of Public Works and the Department of Recreation and Parks use the app, but county officials said they hoped to eventually expand the reporting function to more agencies.

Users can track the progress of a particular work order through the app. Each issue is marked on a map with a color-coded pin to indicate its current status: red is a reported problem, blue means a work order has been assigned and is in progress and green means it’s been resolved.

Any app user can see all of the work orders in progress, according to county technology director Chris Merdon. The app also creates “heat maps” to alert elected officials to areas with frequent problems, he said.

To read the full article on the new Howard County app, visit The Baltimore Sun.