Franklin, MA is Changing the Paradigm of Government Service

Franklin saw ePermitting as a way to improve both the customer experience for residents and internal operations, allowing staff to focus their energy more productively. Hellen and Franklin’s IT director, Tim Rapoza, worked with OpenGov staff to implement a pilot ePermitting system, allowing residents to apply for dog licenses and vitals certificates through an online portal.

Moving Towards a Modern Government

Franklin’s vision for customer-service means rising to meet the expectations of residents in a digital age. While staff at the counters are friendly and knowledgeable, Town Hall is only open from 8am-4pm. To Hellen, providing better government services looks a lot more like what you’d expect from Google or Amazon. “The world’s operating in a global, 24/7 environment, and people are conducting business at all hours of the day,” says Hellen. “My hope is in the very short-term we can transition our little place in the world, Franklin, MA, into a 24/7 storefront. We want people to expect that out of government, and we want to deliver on it.

“When someone says, ‘oh shoot I need to license my dog and today’s the deadline,’ we want that service to be a Google search away. We want to be a one stop shop for people’s questions and services.”
Jamie Hellen, Deputy Town Administrator, Town of Franklin, MA

Using OpenGov Permitting & Licensing, The Town of Franklin, MA customized their public storefront to
give residents a modern, convenient way to apply for licenses online.

The Town Clerk’s office had also identified operational inefficiencies that could be streamlined with an online permitting system.

“In the old process, the Town Clerk would send out a dog licensing form with the annual census. Every year almost 5,000 people would bring in or mail back their handwritten form, which was then manually entered into an outdated Access database. The forms didn’t include phone numbers or email addresses, so it was a painful process in comparison to what we expect today.”

With a new idea of efficiency in mind, Hellen and other department heads agreed that updating their permitting system was an important step in providing citizens with greater access to government services. In less than three weeks, the Town Clerk’s office successfully launched OpenGov Permitting & Licensing, receiving dozens of applications in the first week alone.

Rave Reviews After Online Permitting Portal Launch

After just the first week, Franklin had received dozens of permit applications through OpenGov Permitting & Licensing, with encouraging feedback from residents and staff.

“The comments we’ve gotten from people thus far have been very positive—that the system is easy to use or it took them less than 3 or 4 minutes to license their dog. And meanwhile it saved them an hour long trip to and from town hall at a minimum.”
Jamie Hellen, Deputy Town Administrator, Town of Franklin, MA

Dog license applications are now conveniently available online, with transparent pricing
to help residents take proper action to ensure pet safety within the community.

“That’s the kind of efficiency and brand we want,” says Hellen. “The ability to save people time and hassle is where the rubber meets the road in changing the paradigm of what government does.”

Incorporating feedback from employees, residents, and elected officials on this pilot project, Franklin hopes to expand online permitting operations with OpenGov Permitting & Licensing to liquor licensing, building inspections, and several other town departments in the future.

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