Citizen Engagement Portal

According to the West Seattle Herald, at least one Seattle councilman has grown tired of managing in the dark.

During the six months that Bruce Harrell has been a Seattle City Council member he has grown frustrated with the limited feedback he gets from the community.

While there are always a few voices that will be heard--and won't take no for an answer--they are not in the majority and does not necessarily provide a balanced perspective from the majority of the city.

"Most people (in Seattle) are either enjoying their lives or struggling, and they don't have the time or resources to be committed to process," Harrell said. "That doesn't mean they don't have an opinion though."

In response Harrell is now developing an online Citizen Engagement Portal where he hopes to record the needs and opinions of a larger group of Seattle citizens. Once in place, the portal will enable visitors to the city's Web site to offer their feedback in an electronic polling format.

"I think it will allow the City Council to accurately understand the pulse of the city." Harrell said. "I think we sometimes get out of touch. We need to be better than this as the City Council."

Harrell has stressed that listening is a crucial aspect of being a fair and wise leader, but says that currently, at a guess, he hears from less than 5 percent of Seattle's population on different issues.

Other members of the City Council support Harrell's efforts. Seattle City Council President Richard Conlin said he is excited about getting more Seattle residents involved in their city.

"We don't reach the broader population," Conlin said. "We want to be contacted by, not only the really concerned people, but by the entire population."

At this time approximately 83 percent of Seattle residents own a computer and use the internet, making it one of the most wired cities in the country. But Harrell is still concerned about those who do not have internet access--those on the other side of this comparatively narrow digital divide.

"We're not trying to neglect those people," Harrell said, "and we will continue to look into connecting with them."