Map Lets You Report Potholes, Problems in St. Charles

St. Charles plans to start using the SeeClickFix website and smart phone application to collect and track reports of problems like potholes, broken street lights and derelict properties. 

Residents can report a problem by either going to the SeeClickFix website or by downloading the app. Users must note the exact location of the issue (the app uses GPS to determine your location) and also have an opportunity to upload a photo.

Other community members can "vote" on a report to indicate it should be fixed.

From there, St. Charles city staff members will first acknowledge the issue and then assign an inspector to check for violations of city codes. The case number will be noted in the comments on SeeClickFix. 

The issue is then "closed" within the SeeClickFix website, and residents must call Community Development for an update on the status. 

St. Charles residents are already using SeeClickFix. One neighbor whose user name is CB on the site has reported nine issues in the past two months ranging from front porch clutter to a business in Frenchtown that had unapproved signs.

Other issues reported include sinking brick around a gaslight on South Main Street and an abandoned vehicle. 

Users can remain anonymous by choosing whatever user name they like. Their email won't appear to their neighbors in connection with issues.  

Fixes May Take Time

Matthew Seeds, director of information technology, acknowledged that although an issue will show up as "closed" on the SeeClickFix site, it could take weeks or months before residents see the issue fixed in real life. 

If someone has reported a problem with a residential property—such as trash piled up on a yard—Community Development would send out an inspector who would issue a violation letter.

Property owners would be given time to correct the issue. A second violation letter would be sent if the problem isn't corrected. Eventually, the matter could go before municipal court. The entire process can take months, Seeds said. 

If the issue is a problem that the city can fix, such as a pothole or broken stop sign, that would be routed to the appropriate department and timeline for a fix will be tracked in the comments, Seeds said. 

Some issues, like potholes, are likely to be fixed quickly. Others, like repairs to curbs or roads, will depend on other projects.

"As we go further, we'll get better at this," he said. 

Eventually, the city hopes to better integrate the staff's tracking system for complaints with SeeClickFix to allow community members to track process on issues.