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Elgin approves one-year mobile-app redesign contract with 7 Hills Technology; new news feed and Spanish support planned
Summary
Council approved a one-year support and redesign agreement with 7 Hills Technology to update the city’s mobile app and web portal, add a consolidated news feed and guest-user features, and continue monthly support; staff clarified outreach plans and said payment-processor features (Apple Pay on web) depend on the vendor roadmap.
The City Council on Sept. 10 authorized a one-year agreement with 7 Hills Technology to redesign the city’s mobile app and continue web-portal support, including a new centralized news feed and improved user experience.
Why it matters: The app is a primary channel for residents to submit service requests, view city maps and pay bills. Staff said residents asked for a more timely, consolidated news experience and easier, guest-user access without forced sign-in.
Design and features: Chief Technology Officer Aaron Cosentino described the main enhancements: an “infinite scroll” city news feed that aggregates the city’s social and website posts into a single in-app feed; a guest-user experience that avoids forcing login; streamlined service-request submission; and performance and UI improvements. Cosentino said the app will support Spanish and other languages. The agreement continues monthly support and provides 20 hours of development per month, down from prior years as in-house capacity grows.
Outreach and testing: Staff acknowledged limitations in prior remote user interviews (three interviews from a 200-person outreach effort) and said 7 Hills will do in-person prototype testing in Elgin locations to increase participation and reach a broader cross-section of users. The city will consider deploying testing at library sites or events to reach more residents.
Costs and procurement: The project total in the packet showed $87,512; staff said the memo rounded to $88,000 for convenience and agreed to change the contract maximum to $87,600 at council request. Council approved the one-year agreement unanimously.
Payment options: Cosentino said in-person payments at City Hall already accept Apple Pay/Google Pay at point of sale; web-based Apple Pay/Google Pay are on the city’s payment-processor roadmap but are controlled by the payment provider, not this app contract.
Ending: Council members asked staff to broaden outreach for testing and ensure the vendor’s in-person visits capture diverse user perspectives.
