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CALVIN R. PECK, JR.
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Tab 9
The second public hearing will be held during the March 9 Town Council meeting, which begins
at 7:30 p.m. in council chambers at the municipal complex.
Star-News (Wilmington, NC)
December 29, 2003
Town residents get Net gain solving problems
Author: Sam Scott
Carolina Beach recently opened a direct Internet line by which residents can send town officials
requests for help with problems ranging from abandoned vehicles to yard maintenance - and then
track progress on solving the problem.
The "BetterPlace" system is available through the town's Web site, Carolina beach.org. It's
somewhat hidden on the bottom of the home page.
It allows users to enter a problem or question that is then forwarded to the proper department
head.
The new feature promises two improvements in customer service over taking problems over the
phone, said Calvin Peck, Carolina Beach town manager.
Users get a reference number they can enter later to track progress, he said. And town workers
can send a report back to the person when they're finished.
"It gives us a way to complete the loop," he said.
Town workers have been adjusting to the system in the past two months, said Valita
Quattlebaum, town spokeswoman.
The Florida League of Cities produced the service, which is used by about 40 other U.S.
municipalities, she said. After a $250 setup fee, it costs the town $75 a month.
She said it would save people time looking for phone numbers, waiting for return calls and
transferring between departments.
The system shouldn't inconvenience those without Internet access, Ms. Quattlebaum said. A
town worker can still take a problem over the phone or in person and enter the details on the site,
she said.
Mr. Peck said he wasn't sure what volume to expect because complaints and requests haven't
been closely tracked before. The new system will allow the town to monitor which departments
have the most requests.
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