Any time government at any level takes steps to make things more transparent and easier for citizens to understand, it's a good thing.
That's our view of the Track-it notification system the Harford County administration developed last year to keep people better informed about prospective developments coming through the county approval process.
Harford County Executive Barry Glassman's office announced earlier this week that Track-it has won a 2016 Achievement Award from the National Association of Counties. This is an award we believe is well-earned for a system that could actually be expanded, enhanced and made even more user-friendly.
"Track-it is an enhanced system of public notification created by the Harford County Department of Planning & Zoning to keep citizens informed and engaged in the local development process," the administration stated in a news release, which describes Track-it as "a simple, intuitive web-based application featuring an interactive map of Harford County with tabbed pages displaying each of the three types of development meetings: Community Input Meetings (CIM), Board of Appeals Hearings (BOA) and Development Advisory Committee Meetings (DAC)."
By law, many types of development in Harford County are subject to a public hearing or public meeting. To inform the public, the county is required to post signs on proposed development sites that include a description of the project and the public meeting date, time and location.
"This antiquated notification system had significant shortcomings," the Harford administration noted. Signs posted on-site were often difficult or impossible to read from a vehicle and many sites lack a safe stopping point. And, the signs offered limited information, meaning anyone seeking project details had to call or visit county offices during business hours, requiring assistance from county staff. The sign notification system also offered "no comprehensive view of development activity countywide."
Prior to the 2015 roll-out of Track-it, on-site signs were redesigned, simplified and color-coded to match the tabbed pages of the new web application. The new signs prominently display the Track-it web address, www.harfordcountymd.gov/trackit, for additional project information from the convenience of a computer, tablet or smartphone.
According to the county administration, Track-it drew more than 14,000 users in its first year "and has shown multiple measurable results including improved customer service; reduced staff time responding to constituent queries; reduced reproduction costs for associated documents and enhanced participation in public meetings."
Track-it covers the majority of development projects requiring subdivision approval, but it does not cover properties subject to rezoning or zoning appeals actions, both of which fall under the jurisdiction of the Harford County Council. We strongly suggest that the administration and council work together so Track-it can be expanded to include all zoning-related matters.
Congratulations to the Glassman administration for this positive step forward.