EVERETT, WA – The City of Everett is launching a new interactive online portal that will allow community members to access data through the City’s website. The Everett City Council on Jan. 30 approved the acquisition of an open-data platform from Socrata, which is expected to be available online by early summer.
Open data is the idea that some data should be freely available to everyone to reuse and republish without restriction. The new portal is part of the City’s open-data strategy, which is aligned with Mayor Cassie Franklin’s directive on community engagement and inclusion and recommendations from the Envision Everett 2037 report. The goal is to promote transparency and empower community members by improving access to information about the City and its operations.
“Our goal is for provide data about all City departments in an accessible, comprehensive and timely manner,” said Steven Hellyer, information technology director. “Open data can create opportunities for community members to play a larger role in shaping their community, and we’re partnering with our library team to provide education about how to get the most out of the platform.”
Everett is the first community in Snohomish County to launch an open-data platform in partnership with a public library. An interdepartmental staff team will help oversee implementation and maintenance of the portal.
The City of Everett is collecting information about what kind of data community members would like to see available on the portal. Feedback will continue to be collected even after the platform is launched, and datasets will be updated and added on a continuous basis.
For more information about open data or to submit your feedback about what datasets you would like to see available, visit www.everettwa.gov/opendata.
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