Mayor Nutter Announces Philly311 Mobile App

Mayor Michael A. Nutter announced the Philly311 Mobile App, which will put city government at citizens’ fingertips by allowing them to report issues and service requests 24 hours a day. The app, created in partnership with the software company, PublicStuff, is free to the public and compatible with iPhone, Android and Blackberry. Residents will now be able become more active citizens in their neighborhoods by sending in service requests for issues such as potholes, graffiti and litter to City departments in real time.

 

“The Philly311 mobile application is the latest step toward a smart, responsive 21^st Century municipal government by ensuring that Philadelphians can quickly and effectively communicate their needs to city government,” said Mayor Nutter. “This App will bring city services to citizens’ fingertips and will continue the transformation of government into a nimble customer-service organization.”

City staff will be able communicate with residents to provide comments, completion notifications and more information regarding service requests. PublicStuff’s fluid integration with existing Philadelphia workflow management systems—Novo, Hansen and Cityworks—further allows staff to respond immediately to citizen request needs. The integration also provides city employees with detailed data reports and analytics, allowing them to spot city trends as they are happening. 

“The new Philly311 app will give our residents access to city services like never before. Utilizing the app, citizens are able to become leaders in their own community by reporting issues and concerns in real time, from any device. We’re excited to give citizens the power to influence positively and change their community with such access.” said Richard Negrin, Deputy Mayor for Administration and Coordination and Managing Director.

Using the reporting tool, residents will be able to accurately geo-target the exact location of service requests, save draft requests to send at a later time and take multiple photos of the request being reported. They will also be able to vote and support other service requests in their neighborhood, provide comments on requests and track the progress and completion rates.

 

Chief Information Officer Adel Ebeid said, “This is yet another innovative approach for using technology to bring residents closer to their government.   The new Philly311 mobile app allows us to transform the current 3-1-1 into a civic engagement platform, which is unique among other cities with 3-1-1.”  

 

The Philly311 app will also serve as a platform and portal to pertinent city related services. Philly311 will include customizable widgets so users may have access to a 911 button, FAQ section, Philly’s YouTube Channel and City maps.

“Launching the Philly311 mobile app is another customer service channel that will allow us to empower communities and individuals like never before,” said Rosetta Lue, Office of the Managing Director’s Chief Customer Service Officer that helped spearhead the Philly311 project “The additional widgets and communication tools that accompany the app, will give our residents a direct link to City Services so they can truly be their own community hero.”

PublicStuff Founder and CEO Lily Liu said, “The Philly311 app is extremely intuitive and user friendly. Using the tool, residents will have a direct line to the City of Philadelphia, removing any barriers to seamless communication. We are thrilled and honored to have worked with the City of Philadelphia on this project to help further engage the Philadelphia Community.”

For more information on Philly311 and PublicStuff, please visit:

For more information on Philly311, please visit:
Online Portal: http://www.phila.gov/311
iPhone: http://www.publicstuff.com/iphone/philadelphia-pa

Android: http://www.publicstuff.com/android/philadelphia-pa
BlackBerry: http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/130257/?lang=en

 

ABOUT PUBLICSTUFF, INC. – www.publicstuff.com.

Founded in 2009, PublicStuff is an innovative CRM software company that provides web-based solutions and mobile applications to address the service needs of both constituents and managing agencies.  The online consumer platform allows the public to request services to a variety of organizations.  The online municipal platform allows agencies to cost-effectively manage communications with customers and better manage the service delivery process.  PublicStuff increases customer participation while also driving down costs for agencies.  PublicStuff is headquartered in New York, NY.  For more information, visit www.PublicStuff.com. 

Local Nonprofit Developer Awarded $3 Million for Energy Efficient Affordable Housing

PHILADELPHIA, PA. September 12, 2012. A local non‐profit developer was awarded $3 million from HUD—to upgrade 166 affordable housing units across Philadelphia and make them 20% more energy efficient.

Columbus Property Management and Development, Inc. won a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development through its Energy Innovation Fund (EIF) to bring energy innovation and cost savings to affordable housing residents in North, West, South and Northeast Philadelphia. Community Environmental Center, Inc., in Long Island City, New York, also won $3 Million in the Applied Research category, with seven others in this category receiving smaller grants.

The project will combine energy efficient upgrades with the installation ‐ in half of the units ‐ of energy display devises (EDDs) (small units that display real‐time utility consumption). It is anticipated that the overall effect will be a reduction by 20% or more of energy costs across the 166 unit portfolio. CPM has partnered with Steven Winter Associates, Inc. (SWA), building systems consultants based in Washington, DC, to help implement this project. CPM is implementing a new financial model to fully fund the rehab project, using tax exempt bond financing and 4% low income housing tax credits ‐ to ensure that the units are not only energy efficient, but also remain affordable for at least 30 years into the future. “We are extremely grateful to be selected by HUD for this important grant,” said Alfredo de la Pena, Executive
Director of Columbus Property Management & Development, Inc. “CPM is committed to providing quality,
affordable housing for the most vulnerable individuals in our region and green building practices are an essential part of our approach.” “We’re confident that this grant will help us develop a successful model for reducing energy consumption in multi‐family housing that will result in savings for both tenants and property owners. We’re looking forward to sharing the outcomes of our work with others so that the model can be replicated nationally,” he added. 

About the CPM Housing Group

The CPM Housing Group, through its nonprofit companies ‐ Columbus Property Management and Development, Inc., 1260 Housing Development Corporation and Mission First Housing Development Corporation (collectively “CPM”) develops and manages quality, affordable rental housing for low‐income individuals and families with a focus on those with special needs. CPM manages more than 2,000 units of affordable housing in the Mid‐Atlantic region. In Philadelphia, CPM owns 1,233 units, providing homes for more than 2,500 individuals. As the designated housing provider for the Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health, more than 1,100 of CPM’s tenants are adults living with serious mental illness. Nearly 1,000 of CPM’s Philadelphia tenants are men and women who were formerly homeless. CPM is committed to supporting its tenants in their efforts to live independently, providing service coordination and partnering with nonprofit organizations to provide a wide range of behavioral, medical and social services. CPM is also committed to the long‐term health of its residents and serious about energy efficiency and environmental stewardship. All of its new construction and rehabilitation projects are built to meet LEED® standards and Enterprise Green Communities Criteria.

TreePhilly Fall Campaign Begins

 

TREEPHILLY FALL CAMPAIGN BEGINS!

Philadelphia Parks & Recreation to giveaway 2,000 trees to city residents

 

Philadelphia, September 10, 2012– Following the success of the first TreePhilly campaign in the spring, Mayor Michael A. Nutter announced that the second phase of the City’s TreePhilly Initiative will take place this fall.  TreePhilly, a campaign led by Philadelphia Parks & Recreation (PP&R) in partnership with the Fairmount Park Conservancy and supported byWells Fargo, directly engages Philadelphia property owners, businesses and neighbors to plant and maintain trees. This initiative includes a citywide yard tree giveaway, through which residents can request a free yard tree to plant on their private property. Wells Fargo is sponsoring the yard tree giveaway; both Wells Fargo and the Fairmount Park Conservancy will provide marketing and promotional support for the campaign.

 

“Thanks to the efforts of Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, Wells Fargo and the Fairmount Park Conservancy, more than 2,200 Philadelphia residents were able to request free trees to plant on their property and enhance their neighborhoods,” said Mayor Nutter. “The fall TreePhilly campaign will make free trees available to even more residents and continue to make our city healthier, safer and more attractive as a result. The TreePhilly campaign is the result of a Greenworks goal to plant 300,000 trees by 2015 and will provide Philadelphians with the knowledge and support they need to successfully plant and care for a new tree.”

 

This second TreePhilly campaign is timed to take advantage of the cooler fall months that allow new tree roots to establish themselves and produce beautiful, healthy leaves and flowers for the spring. The fall program will allow Philadelphia property owners to request up to two trees, an increase from the one tree maximum of the spring campaign, to be planted in their front, back or side yard. The fall campaign will also feature opportunities for residents with limited mobility to have their trees delivered and planted for free. Residents applying for this service will need to provide a doctor’s note, Septa CCT Connect number, or a recommendation from a TreePhilly partner to qualify. 

 

Citizens who apply for a free tree through TreePhilly’s fall program can select from a new list of tree species, including Sweetbay Magnolia, Serviceberry, River Birch, Sugar Maple, White Oak, Carolina Silverbell, Eastern Redbud, Black Gum, White Fringetree, American Smoketree, American Yellowwood and Sour Cherry.

 

 

“With the continued support of our great partners and building off the tremendous success of the Spring TreePhilly campaign, the Fall TreePhilly campaign will allow Philadelphia property owners to get more free trees, learn about the numerous benefits of planting trees, and feature new species of trees.  The Fall is the perfect time to plant trees and TreePhilly gives us the opportunity to engage with many communities and neighborhoods to do just that,” said Michael DiBerardinis, Deputy Mayor for Environmental and Community Resources.

 

During the spring campaign, PP&R worked with neighborhood associations, civic associations, businesses and other partners to educate residents and business owners about the free-tree giveaway, which is just one of the many programs that allow Philadelphians to get involved with planting trees on both public and private property. By working in neighborhoods throughout the City, TreePhilly and its community partners are planting trees that will benefit these neighborhoods for years to come.

 

“Wells Fargo is pleased to provide a $75,000 grant to TreePhilly because this program will make Philadelphia more attractive and environmentally sound for generations of future Philadelphians,” said Vince Liuzzi, Wells Fargo’s regional president for Greater Philadelphia/Delaware. “TreePhilly aligns with our commitment to environmental stewardship and will further the vision of Philadelphia’s founding father, William Penn, of Philadelphia as a ‘greene country towne.’ ”

 

Citizens can get involved with TreePhilly by planting and caring for trees on their property, volunteering for a tree planting event in their local park, or sponsoring community service days to plant and maintain trees. For more information, citizens can visit www.TreePhilly.Org  or call 215-683-0217.

 

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About Philadelphia Parks & Recreation

Philadelphia Parks & Recreation promotes the wellbeing of the City, its citizens and visitors, by offering beautiful natural landscapes and parks, historically significant resources, high quality recreation centers and athletic programs, along with enriching cultural and environmental programs.

 

About Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a nationwide, diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.3 trillion in assets.

 

Fairmount Park Conservancy

The Fairmount Park Conservancy exists to champion the Fairmount Park system. Its mission is to work as a collaborative partner to lead and support efforts which preserve and improve Fairmount Park to enhance the quality of life and stimulate the economic development of the Greater Philadelphia Region. The Fairmount Park Conservancy fulfills its mission by leading signature capital projects and innovative programs throughout Fairmount Park; by developing and leveraging resources for the park; and by promoting the parks’ unique assets and contributions.

For more information, please visit www.myphillypark.org. “Like” the Fairmount Park Conservancy on Facebook at facebook.com/FairmountParkConservancy and “Follow” via Twitter @myphillypark.