Santa Monica, California
Launches Accela E-Government Services to Citizens
Public access portal allows citizens and businesses to
apply and pay for permits online 24-7
San Ramon, Calif. (March 15, 2007) Accela,
Inc., the leading provider of government enterprise management software
solutions, announced that Santa Monica, California has implemented Accela
Citizen Access™ as the city’s new public access portal
for providing contractors, development professionals, and homeowners access
to many government services online.
Santa Monica has been using another Accela solution, ‘PERMITS’
Plus®, for several years to centralize and automate its permit management
activities. The addition of Accela Citizen Access increases access to
the services provided by the Planning and Community Development department,
and allows citizens and businesses to apply and pay for permits, check
the status of permits, schedule inspections, and check inspection results
directly from the Internet, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The permits
offered by the city are typically processed by mail or in-person, so the
new online system provides citizens with an option that greatly expedites
service to them and streamlines operations for city staff.
“We are excited about expanding our services to our citizens,”
said Andy Pong, systems analyst for the city’s IT division. “Making
services available online expedites the permitting process for them, and
helps us increase efficiency and measurably enhance the level of service
we can provide.”
“As citizens are becoming accustomed to doing more business online,
they have come to expect the same kinds of services from their government
agencies,” stated Maury Blackman, Accela’s senior vice president
of sales and marketing. “Accela Citizen Access allows agencies to
communicate and coordinate more effectively with citizens, saving everyone
both time and money.”
About Santa Monica
Approximately 100,000 residents make their homes in this 8 1/2-square
mile coastal city located in western Los Angeles County. Santa Monica
is completely surrounded by the City of Los Angeles except for the Pacific
Ocean to the west. The city joins dozens of other communities in California
utilizing Accela solutions, including the cities of Sacramento, Chula
Vista, Yorba Linda, Visalia, and Santa Rosa; and counties of Los Angeles,
Sacramento, Sonoma, Napa, Contra Costa, and San Bernardino. For more information
about Santa Monica, visit http://www.smgov.net/home/index.asp.
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