City Hall embraces the tech way of life

POST FALLS – Looking back, it seems like the Dark Ages. Hours spent slaving over a hot copy machine. Punching holes into upwards of 300 pages of documents. Then collating everything into 20 individual three-ring binders – twice a month.

That’s how Post Falls – and other organizations – used to compile documents for City Council meetings.

“We’d sort of give a last call and then the copy room was off-limits to everyone,” laughed Chris Pappas about the packets, reserved for council members, media and the public.

Now, like the rest of the world, municipal and federal governments are harnessing technologies to make life easier.

A recent poll by the Pew Internet and American Life Project shows 97 million adults Americans, or 77 percent of Internet users, took advantage of e-government in 2003 – a 50 percent increase over the previous year.

At the forefront of the movement is Post Falls, home to nearly 24,000 residents.

In 2001, the city ran neck-in-neck with Boise, becoming the first two paperless city councils, said Kit Hoffer, Post Fall’s public information specialist.

“We definitely were the first ones in this area to do it. I’m sure we saved a tree somewhere along the line,” she quips.

Fast-forward to 2007.

Want an upcoming council meeting agenda? Log on to the city’s Web site. You’ll find the Reader’s Digest version and the complete packet, both downloadable.

Can’t make the meeting? Tune to City Channel TV 13. The city government’s public access channel, it carries meetings live. Or visit the Web site the following morning. You’ll find the audio. Minutes make their way to the Web site later in the day. And meeting coverage will be rebroadcast several times during the week.

Folks can keep up with numerous city departments the same way.

Meanwhile, a Web cam – perhaps the newest tool – is creating an online window through which to watch the new city hall building take shape.

Information technology whiz Mike Kirby, whose office nameplate said “Head Geek,” helps keep things running smoothly.

“This all came from an expectation of the public to be able to access things online. Like being able to pay your utility bill online or filling out a permit.

“We’re trying to find ways to get the information to people they need. And most of what they need, they need when we’re closed,” Hoffer said.

Post Falls police are also on the cutting edge.

Last year, they became the first agency in the state equipped to issue e-citations, instead of paper traffic tickets. The state Supreme Court provided a grant to help launch the pilot program.

It’s been so successful, it’s going to become permanent, said Post Falls Police Lt. Scot Haug.

Added Hoffer: “There’s a whole world out there for us in the ways we can share information now.”