The City of Abilene, through partnership with ZenCity, has launched a new digital community engagement platform to inform and engage residents about upcoming projects, plans and initiatives. Through Zencity, the City will create engagement pages for local projects to provide necessary and important information and invite residents to participate in surveys directly related to the projects. The goal is for the City to better incorporate more resident feedback in the planning and execution of priority initiatives to improve local services and the overall quality of life.
Zencity is a community input platform that works with hundreds of municipalities across the U.S., including Chicago, Phoenix, Seattle and San Diego. This initiative is a way for the residents of Abilene to stay informed as well as to provide meaningful insights and proactive feedback to the City before, during and after projects. It will allow residents to access information in their own time, from wherever is convenient.
The first project featured is the Lead Service Line Inventory (LSLI) required by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Residents can easily access the project page from the Community Engagement section of the City’s website at www.abilenecityhall.com. This is where residents are able to access the information, get helpful tips on completing their survey, and view a video to guide with the identification of their plumbing pipes. Residents received their survey forms in late March and are encouraged to contact City Hall with any questions.
The city will soon launch project pages for the 14th Street Reconstruction project, the Comprehensive Plan updates, and the Sports Complex/Feasibility Study providing project timelines and updates. Citizens can sign up for notifications about a specific project or all projects to ensure they never miss an update!