Discover how Barnstable, MA, a picturesque town nestled on Cape Cod, revolutionized its communication strategy to better engage residents and visitors alike. In the face of diverse communication preferences across its seven distinct villages, Barnstable embarked on a quest to enhance transparency and connectivity within its community. By leveraging insights from a comprehensive communications survey, the town identified a strong demand for a mobile app-based solution to deliver timely updates and vital information. This led Barnstable to partner with GOGov and adopt the innovative Citizen Notifications platform, ushering in a new era of seamless communication and enhanced resident engagement. Join us as we explore Barnstable's journey, uncovering the transformative impact of GOGov's solutions on municipal communication practices.

About Barnstable

The town of Barnstable, MA is the largest town on Cape Cod, boarded by Cape Cod Bay on the north and Nantucket sound on the south. The town has been operating under city form of government, with a town council and town manager, since 1989. Prior to that, Barnstable had run representative town meetings and a Board of Selectman. What makes Barnstable so unique are the seven distinct villages within the town-- each with their own unique character, as well as five fire departments districts and seven not for profit libraries. Barnstable is home to approximately 48,916 residents, with the population tripling during the summer season.

For those who are not familiar with Barnstable, the name “Barnstable” can be confusing to some. As it is a county (also referred to as Cape Cod), a town, and a village. With beautiful beaches, restaurants, and shops that make up the Cape Cod charm, Barnstable is a wonderful place to be!

What was the challenge that led Barnstable to GOGov?

The town had been looking to get information out to residents for quite some time, recognizing that “one size does not fit all” when it comes to communications. With many options out there, the town conducted a communications survey last year through their town clerks Annual Census survey. The survey went out to 22,000 residents and with around 7,000 responses, the primary feedback to receive communication from Barnstable was through an app. What surprised the town from the survey was the demographic that pushed for the app— was women between the ages of 61 and 75.  

Barnstable had been asked by a number of residents to communicate information regarding road work projects, cyanobacteria notifications for ponds, and status of beach parking lots, and found that using an app would be the perfect fit to communicate these types of updates. GOGov had reached out to Barnstable at the right time! The Citizen Notifications product had checked all the boxes off for Barnstable to send out important notifications to residents. What stuck out specifically to the town with GOGov was the cost effectiveness.

"This is a great way to step into communication without feeling overwhelmed"
Lynne Poyant, Communication Director

How is Barnstable using GOGov today?

“My Barnstable”, the town branded mobile app, is used to send out notifications to any person who has the app downloaded onto their smart phone. Barnstable uses the app primarily to get important updates out to the public, such as election information, beach and parking lot closures, water sampling issues, construction projects, detours, road closures, and more! Having a platform to share this information has been very well received by the public, saving them time, and keeping them up to date on daily matters. These updates especially help with visitors in the summer. When beaches are closed for various reasons such as nesting endangered species, bacteria, or full parking lots, people can plan to go elsewhere and save time. People appreciate knowing they can find a different beach to enjoy that day, especially if they are traveling from far away. The town encourages people to download the app when visiting to receive these updates, and they have marketed the “My Barnstable” all throughout the town.  

Barnstable also uses the app to get the word out to residents that the Town Council is holding regular meetings and special workshops to encourage them to attend or watch through their government access channel or live stream on the website.

Future Plans for Barnstable

Barnstable plans to continue using “My Barnstable” to communicate important information to its residents and visitors. With the summer approaching, the town is gearing up its marketing efforts to prepare for its second summer season with the app. With the summer being the busiest season, the town wants to make sure as many people are utilizing the app as possible, and Barnstable is preparing to get a lot of use with “My Barnstable”. Barnstable plans to continue to use the app for its thirty-year sewer construction project which is currently in its third year.

Advice for those considering GOGov

Lynne Poyant, Barnstable’s Communication Director, expressed that when considering GOGov’s solutions, “Don't be afraid. Look at what other communities have used it for, because that was one of the things that helped guide us with, our selections for what the app actually had on it. The other nice thing is that it is getting the messages out to the community in a timely fashion, it does move rather quickly so that it's not something that may take hours to process”.

Additionally, Sarah Beal-Fletcher, Barnstable Government Access Station Manager, added “This is a great way to step into communication without feeling overwhelmed, having a complicated, full app is a lot. But this is a great first step into that. It’s great to test it out and see you know how people respond to it. And like Lynne said, don't be afraid of it because you guys [GOGov] are amazing to work with. You made it very easy, which was helpful.”

Your Municipality Powered by GOGov

GOGov is committed to helping municipalities and local governments enhance community engagement, streamline operations, and foster transparent communication. Our partnership with Barnstable, MA demonstrates the potential of our solutions to make a meaningful impact on cities of all sizes, and our continued efforts to improve and innovate further.  

GOGov specializes in providing CRM, Code Enforcement, Citizen Notifications, Online Permitting and mobile software to local governments of all sizes. We built our software from the ground up working with the departments and staff that now use our products every single day.

Interested in learning more? Sign up for a demo with the GOGov team today.

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