Rich in history and natural beauty, Buena Vista, with 2,700 residents, offers the kind of close-knit, small-town life most people only dream of. The town’s economy and population are steady and healthy; the crime rate is extremely low. Considered by many to be the capital of whitewater rafting in the United States, the area is also popular for just about any outdoor activity that comes to mind. The town government and staff are committed to preserving a down-to-earth quality of life amidst planned development and a vital business community.
The Challenge
The Town of Buena Vista wanted to give constituents the opportunity to get involved in their community. The Town realized that their residents were engaging with them in many ways, but none that could tell a story or analyze the data in an efficient way. An online tool that offered one place for residents to easily share their opinions, and learn more about projects and initiatives was needed.
The SIPA Solution
SIPA, in partnership with Granicus, has a solution to change the way governments engage their community. Remove barriers to participation by giving residents an easy way to get involved – when and where they choose. EngagementHQ centralizes community participation, making it easy to capture, analyze, and report on town-wide engagement through one single platform with eight unique online tools:
- Drive discussions
- Generate ideas
- Collect feedback
- Engage voices in the community
- Moderate feedback
- Ask questions
- Conduct polls
- Measure responses
Results
The EngagementHQ interface makes challenging topics, like planning and zoning, easier to understand for residents, leading to higher quality community feedback. The town works to ensure that people know that their input and time was valuable. Community stakeholders know that staff followed through and took action; thus, building trust.
“We received great feedback and participation from our community. It was rewarding to see how excited they were to engage with us to make our town better.” -Joseph Teipel, Director, Planning Director, Town of Buena Vista