Highland Village is using smartphones to link residents with local government.
On Tuesday, the city will launch its smartphone application that allows citizens to report issues.
"We can't be everywhere all the time, and when our residents are out and about and they see something, we want them to tell us what's going on," city spokeswoman Laurie Mullens said
Mullens said the GORequest application will make it easier for residents to tap into local government around the clock.
"They don't have to try to find the right phone number to call or remember the issue when they get to a computer and send it to us," Mullens said.
The process is simple. Residents with an iPhone or Android phone just have to download the free application and start the "Eye on Highland Village" report.
"They click on report issue [and] choose from the 10 different options. They can snap a picture of the issue. They can provide us with their email address or comments -- but they don't have to -- and then submit," Mullens said.
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The picture and report go directly to the appropriate city department, and the smartphone's GPS pinpoints the exact location of the issue.
The city said it is ready to respond to any issue from barking dogs to potholes to even pesky weeds.
"It is only $1,000 a year for us to do that," Mullens said. "We thought, 'We have to give this a shot and see if it works.'"
"There have been several times I have wanted to tell somebody something and, by the time I get home, I either forget about it or don't want to bother to do it," resident Holly Jones said.
