INNISFAIL – The town is moving ahead to become better connected and engaged digitally with residents and visitors with a new community app.
The community app idea is not new for municipalities. In fact, council was told several Alberta communities are using them, including neighbouring Mountain View County.
The idea for Innisfail was formally pitched to Innisfail town council on April 4 during its Agenda & Priorities Meeting.
Meghan Jenkins, director of community services, reminded council it identified the creation of a community app as a need during last fall’s 2022 Operating Budget deliberations, and $12,000 was budgeted for its development this year.
Since then, the town has received quotes between $5,000 and 10,000 for a one-time set up, along with $4,000 to $5,000 annually fees that would include updates and service.
She told council that community apps, which can be downloaded for Android or iOS devices, generally serve multiple purposes and audiences by providing news and general information about recreation facilities, trails, garbage, recycling, and a business directory.
The app could also be used for community events, deadlines, virtual tours of facilities or trail routes.
Jenkins said an important feature for many of these types of apps is the ability to send out push notifications - messages that pop up directly on phones, such as snow removal, cancellations and emergency information.
She also said community apps also create excellent opportunities for public engagement, such as surveys, quick votes, comments, reporting problems, as well as offering account information, bill payment portal and pet registrations.
Jenkins said the town has looked at a variety of different types of apps, and that many have strengths in different areas, as well as having the ability to be compatible with the town’s current website.
“A lot of the information that is housed on these apps is connected to the websites, so you are not having to update it in two spots if you have the community calendar on the website. That’s what is populating the app,” said Jenkins.
Coun. Dale Dunham said he was “excited” over the app’s potential engagement possibilities.
“I’m excited. Once we have it developed then it’s the content creation and the upkeep. The capacity of administration as it is worries me a little bit. I know you all have a lot on your plates,” said Dunham. “How do we make sure that if we make this investment that we upkeep it because I know there are a lot of really good apps out there? The attraction for tourism, especially with what’s happening for the future for Innisfail. I think there is a lot of opportunities for us to reach out.
“I also think it’s the accessibility of it. So many seniors even have iPads. They have access to us,” he added. “It’s such an easy way to provide information but like a website or like anything, if it’s not being kept up, we’ll run into trouble.”
Mayor Jean Barclay said she has been hoping to see this initiative for quite a while, adding she especially loves the idea of push notifications.
“Anything we can do to get people to go online. It just makes it easier for people,” said Barclay. “I guess one caveat would be is to let’s make sure that we are able to get something that is going to work well with where we are at in the technology world today.
“I don’t want us to get something that is tied into an old back-end website, and then five years from now it becomes obsolete.”
Jenkins replied keeping the town technically up to date would be part of the ongoing maintenance and to make sure the app stays compatible with current technology.
Council accepted Jenkins report for information. Town staff will later bring back a report to a regular council meeting with updated information and a request to council it formally consider approving the community app initiative.
