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Long waits and red tape that taxpayers often face in dealing with the local government could soon be history at two Augusta offices prone to rigid bureaucracy and heavy paperwork. The License and Inspection and Recreation and Parks departments are set to begin $750,000 in projects to revamp database software this fall. The upgrades are expected to make tedious tasks such as applying for permits and signing up youths for recreational sports more convenient, said Mike Blanchard, the assistant director of the city's Information Technology Department. Mr. Blanchard said the information will be integrated with the city's Geographic Information System map and make records such as building permits and business licenses readily available. It's a component of the upgrades that could make it much easier for the ordinary citizen to be a watchdog over those areas of government, said Hollie Manheimer, the executive director of the Georgia First Amendment Foundation. In license and inspection, Mr. Blanchard said the upgrades approved by the Augusta Commission in January will make inspection and code enforcement more effective on many of the city's run-down structures because code officers - and eventually the public - will be able to follow a case from its inception through the GIS map on the city's Web site. Taxpayers also will be able to apply online for permits and licenses, Mr. Blanchard said. The $150,000 upgrade for the recreation department - which does almost all its business with the public on paper - was approved this week by the city commission, Mr. Blanchard said. Chris Scheuer, the athletics supervisor in the recreation department, said parents will be able to pay for and register their children for sports online. Once they provide that information, they likely won't have to do it again because it will be stored with electronic copies of pertinent documents such as birth certificates. Mr. Scheuer, who served on a committee to pick the new software for his department, said it will help broaden participation because mass-mailers, electronically and by traditional mail, will be much easier to send when it comes time to remind parents of sign-ups. The database also will help coaches assemble teams from common neighborhoods by matching ZIP codes, he said. |
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