Operations Director David Amsler said these tools were designed with both efficiency and accessibility in mind, especially as the population approaches 50,000.
“We're here to connect. We're here to serve,” Amsler said. “Planning for a city like Hutto requires more than just the blueprints. It takes people.”
Hutto Connect brings events to one place
To address the challenges of local event awareness, the city launched Hutto Connect, an online hub for city-sponsored and community events.
“It allows for all residents to go into a centralized place and know what's happening in Hutto,” Amsler said. “No longer will they be required to join [several] different Facebook groups in order to know where the nearest event is.”
Residents can subscribe to event categories that match their interests, such as senior activities or youth programming. A broader rollout is planned for July 1, when businesses and nonprofits will be able to post their own events to the platform.
“It's basically [Eventbrite], but for the city of Hutto,” Amsler said. “It will allow all businesses, nonprofit groups, organizations and homeschool groups to be able to [post] their events and get a bigger reach.”
Solve-It streamlines service requests
Solve-It, another recent launch, is an app that simplifies the process of submitting and tracking service requests, such as pothole repairs, tall grass violations or utility issues. Residents can submit requests without needing to know which department to contact.
“The app geo locates the exact location [of the request], and then it goes directly to the person who handles those tabs on a day-to-day basis,” Amsler said.
Once submitted, residents can stay informed with updates, including when parts are ordered or when a task is completed.
“That's been a really exciting tool for everyone,” Amsler said.
Internally, the city can track how long requests take to resolve and flag delays through built-in escalation rules.
“Each time a request has had no change in status within 48 hours, myself and several others request for re-noticing to make sure that we're putting our residents at the top of our priority [list] every single day,” Amsler said.
ClearGov boosts budget transparency
The city first adopted ClearGov, a budgeting and transparency platform, about three years ago under the direction of City Manager James Earp. At the time, budgets were still managed through Excel spreadsheets—a common but complex method used by many cities.
“[Earp] wanted to ensure that we had a product that allowed us to do budgeting for the entirety of the city and allow department heads to justify their budget documents and requests, as well as have more input from departments that are not just the finance director,” Amsler said. “It has been extremely successful in that.”
ClearGov has since expanded to include a dashboard for capital improvement projects, offering information such as assigned project managers, allocated funds and anticipated completion dates.
A new module called ClearPlans is in the works, offering a public-facing view of City Council priorities and staff performance against key indicators.
“What we have been able to do as staff is develop key performance indicators based on [the City Council’s] objectives,” Amsler said. “We basically give a report card on how we're doing as a city, on what missions they have laid out. [There is also] a module in ClearGov that will allow residents to see that as well.”
Looking ahead
The city of Hutto’s investments in ClearGov, Solve-It and Hutto Connect are part of a broader vision to build a more transparent, responsive and engaged community. With infrastructure and population growth top of mind, city leaders say these tools are essential for staying connected with residents and empowering them to take part in the city’s future.
Connect with the city of Hutto by exploring these tools at the links below.
The above story was produced by Multi Platform Journalist Sydney Heller with Community Impact's Storytelling team with information solely provided by the local business as part of their "sponsored content" purchase through our advertising team.
