An application Officials with the city of Pea Ridge are excited to launch Pea Ridge Connect, a new mobile citizen engagement application powered by GOGov.

This "app" puts the power of city hall in the palm in your hand, according to Mayor Nathan See.

"It's a new way of putting information, and being able to provide on-the-spot notifications such as community events, closures, in the hands of the city residents," he said.

An "app" is the abbreviated form of the word application, which is a software program designed to perform a specific function directly for the user or, in some cases, for another application program. It is often downloaded to cellular phones.

See said he first learned about city apps after the Joplin tornado and how that city used it to community to city residents. He said the time was not right then for Pea Ridge, but believes it is now.

"Not everybody gets social media. Not everybody gets the newspaper. This is just one more means of communicating to the city residents," See said.

In the event of a disaster, city officials will be able to immediately notify city residents about issues.

City residents will also be able to communicate with the appropriate city official.

See said that whereas anyone can download the app and set up a profile, only persons within the city limits (the "geofence") will be allowed to post requests and issues.

"It will help with us being able to know things," he said, explaining that city employees can not be everywhere all the time and they are grateful for notifications from city residents.

"If someone sees a crack in a sidewalk, or water running across the road, a street light out, they can take a picture and send it to us," he said, adding that the location via GPS will be included in the photograph. "I think it's just going to open up a very big opportunity for us -- the residents and the city."

"I see this as being a necessity to our residents," See said.

The app does not replace BC Alert, a notification system by the county, nor calling 911 for emergencies.

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