This area is where I believe the everyday Arlington resident will see the most immediate change in operation of city government. In acknowledging the reality of the situation in which we find ourselves, cell phone and other mobile computing options have become ubiquitous. Adoption by the next generation of voters is nearly unanimous. For these reasons it is important to make genuine use of the capabilities as well as create a system easily accessible to young adults.
Permitting One Stop Shop
This migration of permitting would follow the successful transition of code compliance to an online reporting and follow up system. Likewise with an online permitting system, the various business or individual permits can be placed into a queue that can make favoritism or slow playing obvious. Furthermore, any overlapping or contradictory reports or requirements will become obvious and can be corrected. But for many this will greatly reduce what is the most frustrating part of doing business with the city, wasted trips and wasted time.
Mayor’s Opinion Poll and Voting Incentives
These functions I believe make the most sense on the AskArlington App. The registration of your account could provide you with the included functionality of taking part in an opinion poll and notification of voting incentives and their winners. This will take some time to implement but it would allow each voter to compare their votes with that of their representatives. The use luxury box tickets as voting incentives would entail the selection of people to become Arlington volunteers, to insure that Arlington residents can attend the game without cost. My proposal would allow for the selected resident and their choice of companion to become Arlington volunteers, whose job description is to make a good impression at the event. Once a resident has become an Arlington volunteer they are no longer eligible to be selected for another set of tickets. In many ways this will operate like a door prize for voting.
Ride Share Functionality
This third function of evolving the AskArlington app and one that would be extremely useful in bridging the chasm of mobility would be the creation of a city wide ride share cooperative. To account for the need to protect riders, the city would perform a meaningful background check, incorporate a review function (think yelp), and require real time GPS data to insure that drivers only take residents directly to their destination. This will provide residents greater access and ease of transportation, while also providing side jobs. This can be implemented in a number of ways from set fees to a market based pricing function. As drivers prove their worth and improve licensure, accommodations can be made to include larger passenger vans. Companies that wish to be involved would be able to so long as they use Arlington residents as drivers. Likewise accommodations can be made to subsidize cost for the needy and those with disabilities. Residents would like wise be able to filter through the selection of drivers available to them and even reduce the pool to known associates if wanted.