LAWTON – The long-term goal of creating a “Virtual City Hall” has taken the next step with the implementation of an online utility services platform.
The online utility service will go live before March 1. “This will allow citizens the ability to pay and manage their utility bills online, as well as take an in-depth look at usage patterns or update contact information more conveniently,” said Gwen Spencer, Director of Information Technology Services.
Users who choose to set up a digital account by providing an email address and/ or phone number, however, will have the option to receive emergency alerts from the City of Lawton at a later date as the Information Technology Department is also currently working toward a partnership with Sprint Corporation to set up this type of service. The online utility services platform is a service enhancement comes on the heels of several other upgrades including:
- Body cameras and upgrading of patrol car cameras for the Lawton Police Department;
- iHelp Lawton, an online citizen concern reporting tool;
- Citizen’s Capital Improvement Plan portal, which contains information on the status of all projects through Lawton;
- Establishment of the Data Center and Disaster Recovery Center;
- Transition to a Voice Over Internet Protocol phone system that will allow for additional calling features for City staff.
The Department of Information Technology is currently finalizing an agreement with Tyler Technologies that includes solutions for enterprise resource planning, data and insights software and a new municipal court system.