Information Technology Services: myBloomington

The Challenge

When the City of Bloomington’s updated website went live with new content, technologies, and accessibility features in 2008, a web application by the name of myBloomington launched. At the time, the web application provided basic location-based information about City services. It pulled data from the City’s Geographic Information System (GIS) and other data sources to create a customized portal of information. There were many contributors to the original iteration of myBloomington including the City’s ITS Department Website Team, the Office of the Mayor, and Community and Family Resources. Fast forward to 2019, it was determined the 2008 version of the web application was not as feature-rich as it could be and users considered the interface outdated and difficult to navigate.

The Idea: 

In 2019 when myBloomington underwent a significant remodel, spearheaded by Adam Butcher - Applicant Analyst - the user interface and functionality was improved using a mobile-first approach. Also, some data challenges were solved by making the app more database-driven, though it does still rely on static “hardcoded” information in places as well. The recently completed update includes interface and accessibility improvements and additional data sources that make it easier for residents to connect with government services and elected officials. The latest iteration of myBloomington includes location-specific data about historic survey ratings, parks & playgrounds, schools, Safe Place sites, and roadwork or construction affecting traffic. These features complement existing information provided for every address in the city, including City Council district, names of elected officials, voting precinct, neighborhood association, parking zone, and trash and recycling schedules. Additionally, precise geographical coordinates (latitude and longitude) may be obtained of any address entered at the site. Check out https://bloomington.in.gov/mybloomington/ to see for yourself!

The Cost:

mBloomington was originally created using open source and other free software tools, so the main cost of the innovation was the time and effort of those who initiated it. The most recent myBloomington updates integrate the City’s latest GIS features and capabilities. The continued costs associated are the staff time and labor focused on manual or scheduled updates, as the application receives iterations often and always needs to be kept in check with any of the latest security vulnerabilities. 

The Benefits:

“The City of Bloomington is always working to make government services and public data as accessible and transparent as possible,” said Mayor John Hamilton in January 2020 regarding myBloomington’s enhancements. “With myBloomington, you can access the City services and information you need quickly and conveniently wherever you are,” he added. myBloomington arose from ITS personnel’s creativity and commitment to engaging the public, and it has evolved for the very same reasons.

Adam Butcher created the design and development remake of myBloomington in 2019 using open source and free software tools which means other cities can take the application and point it to their own sources of information. Thanks to the efforts of Rick Deitz, Adam Butcher, Laura Haley, (for supplying all the GIS data), Chris England, Walid Sibo, Cliff Ingham (for supplying the City of Bloomington application programming interfaces), and Cynthia Ramlo, the ITS department stands out as an example of innovative public service. Special thanks to Charles Brandt, Bloomington’s previous Assistant Director for Enterprise Applications, for his insight and dedication to making this project possible. 

Metadata

City Department(s): Information Technology

City Point of Contact: Adam Butcher

Partner(s): Office of the Mayor, Community and Family Resources 

Partner(s) Point(s) of Contact: N/A

Type of Innovation: Technical/Software

Date Implemented: 2008 original, 2019 enhancements