E-Government Stands for Eventually Online
Long after Southern California companies embraced the Internet as a business tool, technology-shy cities are finally forging ahead in the world of online government.
Most city and county governments have had Web sites for years, but only recently have the more cutting-edge cities begun to offer interactive online services--such as signing up for recreation classes or applying for building permits.
In Oxnard, residents can report a broken street lamp or a graffiti-covered wall on the Web site. In Pasadena, they can pay parking tickets online. In Torrance, they can apply for city jobs.
The trend has a clever moniker: e-government. City and county officials praise it as a way to cut down on paperwork, lines and phone calls. Computer-savvy politicians argue that it improves communication with their constituents. Residents say it saves them time and makes their lives easier.
“The [Web sites] are 24-hour accessible, and with busy schedules, that becomes a more and more critical issue,” said Mike Reed, who manages Ventura County’s site. “I think we will see more over-the-counter services moved online as county residents demand easy access.”
Despite the enthusiasm for e-government, the evolution has been slow because cities and counties are often short on money, staff or technology expertise.
The Civic Resource Group, which provides technology consultation and training, has studied government Web sites throughout the state. In a 2000 report on California’s 58 counties, the Santa Monica company found a majority of counties use their sites as brochures rather than to conduct business.
A study of 203 cities in seven Southern California counties found that 171 cities had Web sites but that only 47% of them offered interactive services--and just 3% offered a variety of programs. There was also a disparity among the sites, with some created by city interns and others by technology professionals. Many lacked privacy statements and security policies.
“Cities are grappling with how they are going to do this, how they are going to squeeze this into the budgets,” said Gregory Curtin, chief executive of Civic Resource Group.
Critics say that e-government is not worth the effort or the money. They question whether interactive Web sites will lead to smaller staffs or cost savings. In their opinion, local governments should concentrate their resources on providing services in the old-fashioned, reliable way--at City Hall.
“We can talk about getting 50,000 hits, but how much are we really improving our ability to deliver information to the public and how much is it costing us to do it?” said Ventura County Clerk Richard Dean, who recently discouraged county supervisors from spending $500,000 on a new e-government plan.
Dean said counties should be cautious about their foray into e-government and avoid advertising, marketing and self-promotion.
But Internet buffs say politicians have to move quickly, because citizens are so accustomed to doing business on the Internet that they expect government to do the same.
Orange County is in the forefront of e-government.
Residents can read the Board of Supervisors meeting agendas online and submit public comments. They also can listen to live audio of the meetings. Supervisor Todd Spitzer said he reads through the e-mail comments before each meeting and considers that public input before making critical decisions.
Orange County pet owners can also use the county’s Web site to search through computer photos for their lost dogs and cats.
When Tom Barker’s black Labrador, Kacey, disappeared, he and his children scoured the neighborhood. After hours of knocking on doors, a neighbor told them about the online lost-and-found site. Barker turned on the computer--and there was Kacey. “There was no doubt that it was her,” he said. “It was amazing. We picked her up the next day, and she screamed when she saw us.”
Navigating Bureaucracy
Ventura County also has a number of interactive services.
Diener’s Electric in Oxnard has been getting building permits through the county’s Web site for a few months, and owner Robert Diener said it has been an incredible time and money saver.
In the past, Diener would spend two hours driving to and from the Simi Valley building and safety office to get an electrical permit for his workers. Now he spends a few minutes filling out the computer permit. He doesn’t worry about the additional fee of $5 to $10.
“The savings far outweigh the little bit of extra cost,” Diener said, adding that the only downside is that there are some permits he cannot complete online.
On the county’s end, building and safety district manager Jim MacDonald said the service has reduced staff time and made the permit process more efficient.
The state became a model for local governments in January when it launched “My California.” Through the Web site, Californians can make DMV appointments, buy fishing licenses or check out highway traffic. They can even peek at elephant seals at a state reserve.
Arun Baheti, California’s e-government director, said technology alone does not make it easier to maneuver through the bureaucracy.
Baheti acknowledged that only a small percentage of the public does its government business online, but said the numbers are growing.
“Government is always going to lag behind the private sector by a couple years,” he said. “Frankly, I don’t think that’s a bad thing. I would rather have government learn from the private sector than be the experimenter.”
Private companies are jumping at the opportunity to help governments make the transition to interactive technology. IBM is collaborating with the National League of Cities to help smaller governments--for a small fee--revamp their Web sites.
The idea, IBM officials said, is that cities are not competitive with each other and can share ideas for providing online services.
Oxnard hired a consultant to help it develop and maintain its Web site, and city officials say the investment has paid off.
“People like it because it’s quick, it’s well-organized, and it gives them up-to-date information,” said telecommunications director Gayle Elkins. “This is our wave of the future.”
Elkins said the most popular service is the one that allows constituents to report problems such as a building code violation or an abandoned vehicle.
Elsewhere in Ventura County, cities promote tourism and publish newsletters online to inform residents about upcoming festivals or new city ordinances. The county’s Web site also allows parents to record their children’s immunization records and homeowners to pay their property taxes.
But as government officials throughout Southern California have to remind themselves that not everybody has computer access.
“We never use the Web site as our sole source of information,” said Mark Oyler, economic development analyst for Simi Valley. “We have to be careful that we are meeting the needs of the public without going overboard.”
