M E M O R A N D U M
To: Honorable Members of the Town Council
From: Honorable Mayor Tim Meerbott
Date: July 15, 2020
Re: Authorizing the Town Manager to Develop a Contactless Plan for Customer Service Delivery and Technological System Advances in response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic
REQUEST
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A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF CUTLER BAY, FLORIDA, AUTHORIZING THE TOWN MANAGER TO DEVELOP A CONTACTLESS PLAN FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE DELIVERY AND TECHNOLOGICAL SYSTEMS ADVANCEMENTS IN RESPONSE TO THE CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (“COVID-19”) PANDEMIC; PROVIDING FOR AUTHORIZATION; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
As the global fight against the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (“COVID-19”) pandemic continues and much of normal daily life remains on hold, municipalities are trying to navigate a rapidly evolving landscape. Beyond addressing safety concerns, the Town is trying to find ways to rebuild the human experiences that existed before COVID-19. We are investigating opportunities to shift towards contactless services and operations, allowing the core of our daily operations to resume while keeping our residents and staff safe. The Town needs to apply what we have learned in the age of COVID-19. Now is the time to investigate the option of contactless interactions between residents and Town staff to comply with COVID-19 safety measures and practice social distancing rules as we move into the “next normal.”
It is important now more than ever before that we have a system in place for residents to conduct business with the Town from home and offsite, allowing them to continue practicing social distancing and COVID-19 safety measures.
Improving the customer experience is about everything from embracing technology to discovering innovative ways to do business like contactless payments, virtual Town Council Meetings and increased interaction with residents through various social media platforms, e-Newsletters and text messaging. We cannot ignore the technology our residents are familiar with and already using in their daily lives, instead the Town should embrace it and all variations of it. Technology is changing the customer expectations and they expect the Town to adapt. In an ideal world services would be available to the customer when, where and how they want it.
Municipalities and companies that develop long-term strategies now to mitigate risks while delivering distinctive contactless experiences will emerge from the pandemic with stronger, operational resilience, an agile organization, and a sustainable competitive advantage that can better respond to a changing economic context and any future impacts.
In recent years, we have discussed upgrades for the Town’s Council Chambers and improvements to our customer service delivery and technology systems. However, due to budgetary constraints some projects needed to be postponed. In the age of COVID-19 there are health and safety considerations that make these enhancements essential. as a result of the cares act funding and the possibility of the health and economic recovery omnibus emergency solutions (heroes) act funding, the opportunity to develop a Contactless Plan (“Plan”) focused on contactless enhancements for customer service delivery and technological systems advancements is vital for the betterment of responding to residents’ needs during the pandemic.
The following contactless enhancements are suggested outcomes/goals to be investigated during the development of the Plan:
• Technological upgrades to the Town Council Chamber to allow participants to practice social distancing without losing the ability to participate in a live meeting;
• Digitizing the Town Council Meeting experience to make it available over electronic means, upgrading high-definition cameras and digital audio to allow two-way communication so constituents can attend meetings safely from home;
• Upgrades to include high speed cabling for added bandwidth, and real-time closed captioning, ADA compliant meeting software capable of a seamless live streaming experience;
• Upgraded technology for contactless payment methods to offer quick, convenient processing online, and over-the-phone, as well as a self-pay, in-person option to keep residents and staff safe;
• Installation of Thermographic (Body Temperature Reading) cameras; and
• Creation of a system to allow for the submission of applications with payment of fees online, for example, Building Permits, Code violation fees, youth and active seniors program activities and Park facility rental fees providing for more personalized service and saving time.
Our residents are the heart of everything we do, and we are committed to providing them with a customer-first care experience through best in class service. That is why we need to explore opportunities to provide contactless payment and customer service options, and ways to virtual live-stream Town Council Meetings to allow residents the face-to-face participation with their representatives in the Town’s legislative process all while encouraging them to continue practicing social distancing and COVID safety measures. Especially in the current COVID pandemic crisis this will help us deepen our connection, increase trust while providing greater confidence in our commitment to make their safety and well-being our greatest priority.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the Town Council adopt this Resolution, which authorizes the Town Manager to develop a Contactless Plan for customer service delivery and technological systems advancements in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.