Chatt311 App
On Tuesday, Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke debuted the city’s new CHATT311 smartphone app, which enables citizens another means of accessing city services such as brush pickup, pothole repair and park reservations. Chattanooga residents still can contact the city’s 311 system by email and phone.“This app is the next step in delivering goverment services,” Berke said during a demonstration at the city’s 311 call center.Corey Wentz, project manager for the application, said it took six months to develop CHATT311. It cost under $50,000 to develop, he said.
The Chattanooga City Council has given its initial blessing to a $131,750 franchise agreement allowing a telecommunications company to install and operate underground cabling in the public right of way.
The most recent version of the five-year contract with Zayo Group of Boulder, Colo., comes five months after a 6-3 council vote in favor of an agreement that would have only provided $10,270 in compensation to the city. A second mandatory approval for the original agreement has lingered through several deferred votes, contentious discussions and legal wrangling. Council members Ken Smith, Carol Berz and Russell Gilbert opposed the first deal.
Zayo will offer bandwidth opportunities to cellular services companies in various areas of the city.
On Tuesday, the council voted 8-0 in favor of the new agreement, with Berz absent.