There have been several announcements recently that the city of Lowell is now using a web tool called SeeClickFix to better allow residents to communicate non-emergency problems to City Hall. A concise explanation of SeeClickFix can be found in this Wikipedia entry. You can access the site anonymously and either report a problem or just scroll through problems (and responses) that have already been posted. Try it out by visiting seeclickfix.com which brings you to the screen shown immediately below:

In the “Enter your city or neighborhood” field, just type Lowell, MA and click on the arrow to the right. That brings you to the Lowell screen (shown below with a particular complaint highlighted)

When you scroll through the “issues” you can see the back-and-forth between the person making the report and someone at City Hall responding. I’m still learning the features of the site but it appears everyone can vote or comment on an issue and there are many other features that will hopefully become apparent and useful in the coming days. Additionally, I downloaded the free smart phone app to my cell phone (which was easy) but I’ve yet to run into anything that needs reporting. Once I do, I’ll file a report on the experience back here. Finally, to give everyone a sense of the type of things being reported, I copied and pasted a portion of the Lowell list below:

knotweed taking over sidewalk Open
555-751 Pawtucket St Lowell, MA 01854, USA – Lowell
Nassor reported 2012-06-10 • voted for about 10 hours ago

City Parks Open
257-273 Suffolk St Lowell, MA 01854, USA – Lowell
Dan Kuja reported 2012-06-11 • voted for about 10 hours ago
Dan Kuja 2012-06-11
In places the grass is so long that it is falling over onto the sidewalk making it very narrow.

register dog Closed
S.Loring St Lowell, MA – Lowell
reported 2012-06-11 • voted for about 10 hours ago
City of Lowell 2012-06-11 Issue Closed
Please contact the City Clerk’s office at 978.674.4161 withe the address of the animal in question. They can answer your question.
Thank you

Trees in wires/hazard Open
628 Wilder Street Lowell, MA – Lowell
reported 2012-06-11 • voted for about 10 hours ago

Desperately need a public trash Open
High Street Lowell Ma – Lowell
reported 2012-06-11 • voted for about 10 hours ago

Dangerously narrow sidewalk Open
30 Market St Lowell, MA – Lowell
reported 2012-06-11 • voted for about 10 hours ago

Commuter Rail users crowding Highland Street Open
Highland Street Lowell, MA – Lowell
reported 2012-06-11 • voted for about 10 hours ago
OP (Guest) 2012-06-11
I should add, that as a suggestion of how it can be fixed – perhaps we can allow parking on the Rogers School side of the street only? Maybe the other side could be made residential or funeral parking? Similar to the residential parking granted the residents of Pawtucketville who live near UMass North campus. Just a thought.

Sidewalk Repair Open
31-59 Park Ave W Lowell, MA 01852, USA – Lowell
Scott Dickinson reported 2012-06-12 • voted for about 10 hours ago
Scott Dickinson 2012-06-12
Next to 47 Park Ave W

Sunken utility trenches Open
350 Wilder St Lowell, MA – Lowell
reported 2012-06-13 • voted for about 10 hours ago

Jarring water gate valve Open
16 Wilder St Lowell, MA – Lowell
reported 2012-06-13 • voted for about 10 hours ago

Depression in street Open
192-232 Stevens St Lowell, MA – Lowell
reported 2012-06-13 • voted for about 10 hours ago

Oaklands Path Acknowledged
178 Parkview Ave Lowell, MA – Lowell
lowell reported 2012-06-12
lowell 2012-06-13
I meant whose.
lowell 2012-06-13
It links Holyrood Ave to Parkview. Some call it “black” path. It is paved and taken care of on the Holyrood end. I’m not sure who’s property it is. I just assumed it was the city’s.
City of Lowell 2012-06-13
Could you be more specific about where “Oaklands Path’ is please? We’re not exactly sure where you mean. From your description, it sounds like the path may be private property; in that case the city would not be able to clear it.