City Hall is listening — anytime!

Thursday, March 26, 2009 | midnight

In its earliest days, communication between the city of Henderson and its residents was easy and usually handled with a personal touch. Today, more than 270,000 people call Henderson home, making it a little more challenging to stay on top of all the requests and comments than it was 55 years ago.

“Municipal government is the government closest to the people,” said Mayor James Gibson. “We provide the daily services that impact our residents the most, and we’re the closest resource to them when needs arise.”

Recognizing the need for enhanced two-way communication and a better way to respond to the public quickly and efficiently, Gibson and the city council asked city staff to find a solution.

That solution is Contact Henderson, a comprehensive information center for city news and information, and a fast and easy way to contact the city for answers to questions ranging from how to obtain a permit, to how to request the replacement of a burned-out streetlight.

It’s easy to make contact. Just visit cityofhenderson.com and click on “Contact Henderson” in the news section. The Contact Henderson icon is also available on all other pages in the left-hand navigation. Click to see a list of topics; each contains information on programs, events, hours of operation and answers to many other questions. Making a request, comment or obtaining additional information is as fast as scrolling down the Contact Henderson page, which walks users through the easy steps to contact the city. And contacting the city means just that — access to every department as well as the mayor and city council.

Since its launch in 2008, Contact Henderson has tracked more than 11,000 requests, with city staff responding to those requests within an average time of 48 hours. The Frequently Asked Questions list has logged 32,969 hits. But the real success of the system is found in its customer feedback.

A few of the many comments received include:

“I have used this Web site several times in the past, and I am quite impressed on the results regarding requests or suggestions. I can’t think of a better way of having input into city government and seeing results. Thanks!”

“Thank you for the quick response and cleanup of the dirt and rocks along Stephanie and Horizon Ridge.”

Henderson is no longer a small town, but it still maintains that small-town feel and quality customer service. And just like any small town, there is an easy way to stay in touch with local government, day or night. City Hall really is listening with Contact Henderson.