Communication between Mahomet residents and Village officials is now easier with an online and mobile program called Public Stuff.
Village Administrator Mell Smigielski won a free trial of Public Stuff at a conference a few years ago. With public participation, the Village staff decided to adopt the service into the annual budget.
Public Stuff provides a place for Village residents to submit public concerns to city officials, and then track the progress of the request until completion. Within the last two years, Mahomet residents have submitted building permit violations, sidewalk maintenance requests, and “eye sore” complaints.
Once an issue is submitted, Village officials are notified. Although issues can be submitted anonymously, concerns with a registered email address will be notified once the issue has been addressed or completed.
Village Clerk Cheryl Sproul said she also logs requests into the Public Stuff system when residents come into the Village Administration Building with a concern.
Over the years, the Village has tweaked the Public Stuff program to fit Mahomet’s needs. Elected officials and Village staff are also listed within the Mahomet database. Sproul hopes to connect the Village Facebook and Twitter feeds to the service so users can receive instant updates on Village news.
The Public Stuff app is available through Android, Apple and Blackberry app stores.
