Pine launches mobile app for residents to communicate concerns

Nothing’s changed for Pine residents who still want to drive down to the township hall or call when they have business with the municipality or a concern that needs to be addressed.

But township officials know that for most people, time is precious. So they’ve launched a new system to streamline communications by putting it at residents’ fingertips — the Pine RC app, which is available for both Apple and Android devices.

“One thing we know is that in the world we live in today, people primarily use their phones as communications tools, not just to talk to people,” said township manager Jason Kratsas. “So we wanted something that not only allows residents to easily get in touch with the township but gives our employees a way to easily communicate with them.”

People also can access the services provided by the mobile app on their desktop computers through the township website, twp.pine.pa.us.

The municipality’s first foray into using a smartphone application for communication between residents and the township was in 2017 when it partnered with Richland and Marshall townships to launch the Savvy Citizen app.

“There were a lot of things we liked about the Savvy Citizen app, but we decided to go with the Pine RC app because it’s produced by the same company that created our website, so they work better together,” Kratsas said.

The ability to customize the app and “brand” it with the township name also makes it an attractive alternative, he said.

Pine RC is an acronym for: Public Information Network for Everyone Resident Connect.

Residents who use Pine RC can submit complaints or concerns about issues ranging from abandoned properties, animal complaints and code violations to flooding, road conditions and streetlights.

“It’s very helpful to us when a resident reports something like a pothole,” Kratsas said. “But now, if they see one while they’re driving down the road, they have to make a point of remembering to get to a computer once they are home so they can take care of it. With the app, they’ll be able to pull over and use their phone to tell us about it.”

Kratsas said once something like a pothole or other issue is reported, the information is linked to a map loaded into the system that can be used by public works crews or other departments to pinpoint the location.

The app will also allow residents to track the progress when they submit a concern.

The ability to electronically track something submitted by a resident also creates accountability for township employees.

“We want to be accountable to our residents, so when they submit something through the app, a record is logged into the showing that it was received,” he said. “Since some people are still going to come to us in person or call when they have an issue, that information is also put in the system so that it can be tracked and updated.”

While it can be easy to view the new app as just another way for people to file a complaint, Kratsas thinks it has the potential to bring the community closer together.

“Whether it’s sending out a reminder that Community Day is coming up or that a road is closed, we want to expand how we utilize this tool,” Kratsas said. “We’ve already started using the app to allow people to respond to a survey we are doing about the community center.

“I think this is a great communications tool that we’ll continue to find ways to utilize in the future,” he said. “We want residents to think of the app as more than just something they can use to complain about an issue. I think it has the potential to do much more, so we’re looking for some fun ways to use the app.”