The city of Santa Maria has introduced a new, improved version of its online platform for reporting non-emergency issues.

Santa Maria residents can now use Neighborhood Connect on their smartphone, tablet, or desktop computer to log issues and send them to the necessary city departments for everything from graffiti to abandoned vehicles, the city said.

Santa Maria’s IT Division responded to public feedback on how to improve Neighborhood Connect, and now the upgraded platform is faster, includes more categories, and improved maps, the city reports.

Users will also enjoy better Spanish translation, receive more email updates, and be able to track issue responses by date, location or category.

Users can submit a report by dropping a pinpoint to the location using new and enhanced aerial imaging. New categories include options to report park facility repairs, locations selling tobacco products to minors, and new ideas or feedback to city departments, among others.

There are also direct links to City Code Enforcement forms for issues taking place on private property, minimizing confusion and time spent reporting, the city said.

Neighborhood Connect users will receive an update email when the issue is reported and again when the issue status is marked as “Complete” by city staff.
 
To watch a video about the new Neighborhood Connect upgrade, visit the city’s YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/JblrblIGU9U; and a demonstration video at https://youtu.be/GNLLJ7-NiOs.
 
Neighborhood Connect is part of the Santa Maria’s Smart City Safe City vision to use new technology to improve efficiency, access to services, and quality of life, the city said.

The Neighborhood Connect system has handled some 3,000 reports from the community since it began in July 2023. Learn more at cityofsantamaria.org/connect.