Huntington committee recommends renewal of CivicPlus SeeClickFix 3-1-1 contract

The City of Huntington Administration and Finance Committee on Jan. 27, 2020 voted to forward to full council Resolution 20-25-R-4, a measure authorizing the mayor to enter a contract renewal with CivicPlus for the annual renewal of the SeeClickFix Huntington 3-1-1 smartphone application. The motion to send the resolution to full council with a favorable recommendation was made by Miss Rumbaugh and seconded by Miss Holly; the committee approved it by voice vote.

The app, presented to the committee by Mister Bates, an information-technology staff member, “is a smart phone application that allows individuals to notify the city about issues that they may have as well as, basic information about city services,” Bates said. He told the committee the annual cost for the contract covering “March 2025 through February 26” will be $27,390 and that the expense is paid through the information-technology division’s contracted services budget line.

Bates gave usage figures the committee discussed: since going online in January 2022 the system has fixed 19,425 issues “all time”; during the past calendar year there were roughly 5,877 requests created (a number he appeared to correct in-session), with 5,383 resolved and 494 currently open, made up mainly of the abandoned-and-dilapidated-home feature, potholes and special pickups. “I'll be happy to answer any questions that you may have,” Bates said.

Committee members praised the app’s usefulness but pressed on cost. “I have found since implementing the 3 1 1 app it to be an invaluable service for our community, especially identifying abandoned properties, potholes, etcetera,” Miss Rumbaugh said. She noted that the contract includes a 5% annual increase and asked whether there was room to negotiate that rate. Bates said staff had delayed previous increases where possible and that CivicPlus had held off raising fees “as long as they can.” He added that the platform had been selected in 2021 as a cost-effective, user-friendly option compared with alternatives.

The committee did not take final action on the contract; it approved moving the resolution to the full City Council with a favorable recommendation. The full council will consider final authorization and any negotiations on contract terms.

Votes at a glance: Resolution 20-25-R-4 — motion to forward to full council with a favorable recommendation (mover: Miss Rumbaugh; second: Miss Holly); voice vote recorded as ayes, committee members present (Bartholomew, Rumbaugh, Holly, Archer, Folland) approved the motion.