City unveils new Access for Collins app; staff reports 1,100 service requests since July go‑live

City staff demonstrated the new Access for Collins platform during the Sept. 2 Fort Collins City Council meeting, showing a redesigned web and mobile interface, a public map of nearby requests and backend routing that automatically assigns service requests to the appropriate city teams.

Lede and key facts: Amanda King, the city’s communications and engagement director, told council the new system went live July 1 and that over 1,100 service requests had been submitted through the upgraded platform. The system offers an address or pin drop for location, a short description field, photo upload, an option to keep cases private and a public map that allows residents to see nearby requests if the submitter marks the request public.

Why it matters: The platform is the city’s primary channel for residents to report non‑emergency issues such as potholes, weeds, streetlight outages and similar service needs. Staff said linking the platform to existing work‑order systems will allow some requests to route directly to field crews and that the city aims to respond to initial inquiries within three business days.

What staff showed and how it works: King demonstrated the mobile interface, including account management, request tracking, the ability to attach photos and the public map function. On the back end, staff dashboards show current cases and trends; King said the top category since launch has been weeds and grass. Staff also noted the old app contract had expired and the new system replaces the dated platform.

Follow‑up: Multiple council members asked about app availability and signage for users; King said the new app is available in Android and Apple app stores under “Access for Collins” or “Access FC” and that staff have QR cards for public outreach. Staff will provide written guidance if users encounter the old app listing in an app store, she said.

Ending: Councilmembers praised the customer‑service improvement and asked staff to share metrics and provide additional user guidance to reduce duplicate submissions. Staff said dashboards will provide real‑time metrics and promised additional outreach and written instructions for residents who reported issues with the old app listing.