Getting a pothole repaired, a fallen tree removed, graffiti scrubbed from a building or a number of tasks falling within the purview of the Waukegan Public Works Department recently became easier for city residents.
With the launch of a new public works online portal, Alonzo Jenkins, the supervisor of public works, said residents — or anyone else — can provide the department with quick, precise information around the clock.
“We have made the process very easy with this new digital system,” Jenkins said Friday. “It lets residents report repairs and concerns they may have. It’s available 24/7 by email. It’s directed to the right department.”
The new portal for the Waukegan Public Works Department went live online on April 27, giving people the ability to report problems or concerns at any time, with a quick response guaranteed.
Jenkins said when someone has a need or concern, they access the portal on the city’s website, find the specific subject, give the details of the situation, provide the location and upload a picture if possible. Updates will be generated at each stage of the process through completion.
Mayor Sam Cunningham said in an email Friday that it is important to make connections with the city as easy as possible. The portal is one way of easing the connection. It is one of the ways he hopes to make government work better for city residents.
“This tool puts accessibility front and center, allowing the community to quickly report issues and submit service requests from wherever they are,” Cunningham said. “By streamlining communication and improving response times, we are building a more responsive and transparent city.”
Though people could make reports to public works online before, Jenkins said the new portal adds dimensions, creating more efficiency. Use of a picture clearly identifies the situation. If someone is reporting a pothole in need of repair, the request goes right to the asphalt department.
“They can use a pin drop to show where it is,” he said. “They couldn’t send a picture before. A picture shows us exactly what needs to be done. A picture is worth a thousand words. It’s much better. Game over.”
Liz Vazquez, the public works department’s executive assistant, said that before someone can use the portal, they must have an account. It can be created online by providing an email address, a phone number and the individual’s address.
Another feature of the portal is its multilingual capabilities. There are languages besides English and Spanish. Jenkins said it uses Google’s Translate program, enabling the user to request a translation in dozens of languages, and the recipient is equally adept at getting a translation.
Though Jenkins said the portal is working well, he is reluctant to give precise statistics on its use because people have only been able to use it for less than two weeks. He does like what he has seen so far.
“We’ve been getting 10 to 12 reports a week since we started using the new system,” he said, “With the old system, we were getting six or seven.”
Jenkins said among the situations people can report besides potholes, downed trees and graffiti, are illegal dumping, a sewer blockage, water main leaks, malfunctioning traffic lights, trees in need of trimming and more.
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For people who want to report a situation by telephone, Vazquez said they can call the Public Works Department between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. weekdays. They can also leave a message at other times.