Imagine living in a paradise like Marco Island, a small city in Southwest Florida. With beautiful beaches, breathtaking wildlife, and a community that swells during the winter months, this stunning destination boasts a unique charm that draws both residents and visitors. But managing the needs and expectations of a diverse population can be a challenge. In 2019, Marco Island's city council initiated a strategic plan aimed at enhancing community engagement. That's where GOGov came into the picture.

About the City of Marco Island, FL

Marco Island is a city located in Collier County, in Southwest Florida. The permanent population of the island is estimated to be 18,000, but in the winter months this number rises to between 35,00-40,000 as people visit from colder climates. Marco Island is uniquely known for its beautiful beaches, with amazing wildlife such as borrowing owls, American bald eagles, sea turtles, Gopher tortoises, endangered shore birds, and more!  

What was the challenge that led Marco Island to GOGov?

In 2019, the City Council of Marco Island set a goal to increase community engagement. To accomplish this, they entrusted Assistant City Manager, Casey Lucius, with the task of executing a multifaceted approach. Casey implemented a variety of strategies to meet the goal including increased media and press coverage, a heightened social media presence, and the development of a customized Marco Island mobile app. The app would be used to push information out to residents, but she also wanted the app to have a feature where residents could provide information to the city staff.  

Exploration led to various solutions, but GOGov quickly emerged as the perfect fit. The city's staff was highly impressed with the functionality of the app and its user-friendliness, both from the resident's and administrators' perspective. GOGov's commitment to outstanding customer service was a decisive factor. Marco Island found in GOGov a partner that provided software and a seamless, efficient, and user-friendly solution aligned with their community engagement goals.

“The customer service has been outstanding and the functionality of the app and honestly how easy it is to use both from the customer side for our residents and from the administrator side. Our staff to be able to use it behind the scenes to capture information that is coming in and also easily send out important notifications to the public” – Casey Lucius, Assistant City Manager

How is Marco Island City using GOGov today?

In 2019, Marco Island City partnered with GOGov's team to incorporate their Citizen Notifications, Citizen Requests/311 and a municipality branded mobile app solutions. To ensure residents and visitors are kept up to date on local happenings, "My Marco" mobile app was launched and is promoted by a push notification system. The My Marco app informs the community about boil water notices, road closures, community events, and parks and recreation-related information. Detailed geographical maps help locate spots with water outages and keep the community up to date once the problem is resolved. My Marco ensures that the community is always in the know, averaging about seven notifications sent out per month.

Marco Island is making it convenient for residents by utilizing GOGov's Citizen Request/311 feature across all city departments. Residents can easily report various issues, such as damaged street signs, debris in roadways, or overgrown landscaping that impacts visibility for bicyclists. This tool has been instrumental in streamlining the process of reporting and resolving such matters. The quick response time demonstrates the city's commitment to its residents' safety and concerns.

Recently, the city received a request regarding overgrown bushes that were creating a hazardous environment for cyclists. The code enforcement department responded quickly, clearing the obstruction, providing a much safer environment for cyclists. This proactive approach to safety ensures that citizens in the city are kept safe from potential dangers. In addition to the recently resolved issue, the code enforcement department is continuously monitoring for debris, landscaping issues, damaged street signs, and other obstructions that could pose a risk to drivers and cyclists. Even in the most remote parts of the city, the quick response of the code enforcement department helps to ensure that hazardous conditions are quickly addressed, usually within 24 hours.

Future Plans for Marco Island

The City of Marco Island is preparing to embark on a large project to replace a bridge. The process will involve taking the existing bridge down and rebuilding it from the ground up, meaning that the road will be completely closed for an entire year. This road disruption will be difficult for those living in the area, so the city plans on utilizing the GONotify product to update residents on regularly on  construction and alternative routes.

Additionally, the city has just completed a big parks project where a band shell was built for concerts and programs. A goal for 2024 is to thoroughly develop a robust programming schedule for the park. The city plans to push out notifications regarding scheduling and programing but also help get the word out to citizens about the new band shell and fun activities. The city is excited to continue utilizing My Marco for future endeavors on Marco Island!

Advice for those considering GOGov

As we concluded our customer spotlight interview with Casey Lucuis, we asked if there was anything insight she would like to share. She highlighted that the GOGov process was easy to implement, great customer service, and a financially affordable solution for the city. A priority for Marco Island is to constantly be evolving and updating. Lucius recognizes that communication forms such as websites and social media are constantly changing in terms of what platforms people prefer. Apps are really where people prefer to get their information from, and the notifications are easy to receive upon downloading the application. Having “My Marco” shows residents that engagement is a priority for the city. In addition, she dispels the misconception that an older demographic won't use mobile apps. She believes that residents of all age groups embrace technology and benefit from such platforms.

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 Marco Island 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.  

Marco Island is a shining example of how GOGov's solutions empower communities to connect, communicate, and grow together. As Casey suggests, it's a myth that older demographics won't use mobile apps, and technology can bridge gaps to create more engaging and responsive municipalities. We hope that Marco Island's story serves as an inspiration for other cities, demonstrating the immense potential of GOGov's mobile app solution for community engagement.

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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