St. Joseph County, Indiana Transforms Resident Engagement and Operational Efficiency with Integrated Solutions from CivicPlus

Located in North Central Indiana with a population of about 270,000 residents, St. Joseph County blends a rich industrial legacy with a growing reputation as an academic and technological hub. Anchored by institutions like the University of Notre Dame, the county experiences seasonal population surges tied to its student body. With tech giants like Amazon and Microsoft establishing local data centers, its economic landscape has evolved from “Rust Belt” roots to a thriving “Silicon Prairie.” The county recognized the need to align its digital infrastructure with the region’s rapid growth. As part of this transformation, St. Joseph County set a strategic goal to enhance resident engagement, improve transparency, and streamline service delivery through a partnership with CivicPlus®.

The Challenge

St. Joseph County faced a critical challenge: meeting the needs of its increasingly tech-savvy residents without relying on traditional, in-person service delivery. The county aimed to provide a seamless, accessible digital experience that could integrate smoothly with its existing systems. Furthermore, the county needed a unified platform that would enable efficient interdepartmental collaboration, support diverse communication needs, and present a cohesive public-facing digital presence.

Implementing a Robust Suite of Solutions – a Civic Impact Platform

In 2016, St. Joseph County embarked on a comprehensive digital transformation initiative with CivicPlus. Beginning with the launch of a modern, responsive website, the county gradually expanded its use of CivicPlus solutions, integrating tools that addressed a wide range of operational needs. Today, the county leverages a robust suite of CivicPlus offerings, including Municipal Websites, Web Accessibility tools (Acquia Optimize), SeeClickFix 311 CRM (branded locally as SJC311), Social Media Archiving, Municode Codification, Mass Notification, and Community Development solutions. Together, these tools have created an integrated digital ecosystem that enhances the resident experience while streamlining workflows across county departments.

A Frictionless Digital Experience for Residents with Municipal Websites

A CivicPlus-powered website serves as the county’s digital hub, offering residents an intuitive and mobile-first platform for accessing information and services. Whether looking for public records, submitting service requests, or exploring local events, residents can easily navigate the website to find what they need. The streamlined design and responsive layout have received positive feedback from both residents and county officials.

A valuable benefit offered with CivicPlus Municipal Websites is the ability to go through biannual redesigns. According to Frank Fotia, Economic Development Planner, Department of Infrastructure, Planning & Growth:

“The design team is great. After having just a couple of meetings, we went through some examples and saw what we liked from some other municipalities or counties, and what we got back was beyond what we were expecting, it was fantastic,” he says.

In addition, Fotia mentioned how cross-departmental collaboration and contribution has improved with the website and content management system:

“At the beginning, staff put something on the website and then maybe looked at it once a year and unless something changed, kept it very static. Now, we’ve gotten several departments buying into putting more things out there, sending us stuff for social media, and really increasing that online presence,” he says.

The integration of the Codification solution further enhanced the resident experience by making ordinances, codes, and other legal documents easily searchable online. By providing direct access to this information, the county has bolstered transparency and ensured that residents have reliable access to local laws and regulations.

Empowering Residents with the SJC311 Mobile App from SeeClickFix311 CRM

One of the standout components of the county’s digital transformation has been the launch of SJC311, powered by CivicPlus’ SeeClickFix 311 CRM. The mobile app allows residents to report issues like potholes, graffiti, or public nuisances directly from their smartphones, creating a direct line of communication with local government. Since its launch, the app has not only increased community engagement but has also improved response times.

Within just three weeks, the county resolved over 200 resident-reported issues, highlighting the efficiency and responsiveness of the new system, while also providing positive experiences for residents.

Fotia noted, “Right now my favorite part is the newest thing we just launched, which is the SeeClickFix 311 CRM. Getting people to find and download the app and being able to report issues to their government I think is incredibly important. Being able to meet the residents where they are, on their phones, they don’t even have to go to our website to navigate there. They can just put the app on their phone and when they’re out and about in the community, if they see something, they can reach right out and let us know so that we can get it resolved,” he says.

Enhancing Transparency with CivicPlus’ Municode Codification

Transparency has been a core objective for St. Joseph County, especially as the region experiences significant development and growth. By integrating CivicPlus’ Municode Codification solution and the MuniDocs feature – which centralizes and stores pertinent county documents – the county has ensured that all communications, ordinances, contracts, and resolutions are easily accessible to the public. This approach has strengthened public trust, allowing residents to view important documents and agreements online, ensuring a clear, open-book approach to governance.

Fotia explained, “For transparency purposes, being able to put all our contracts, agreements, resolutions and ordinances passed right up there on the website for anybody to see and read. I think it’s incredibly important, especially with all of the development and activity going on in this county, it’s very important for our residents to be able to have that ability to go online and see exactly what agreements we’re entering into and all of the contracts that we’re binding ourselves to, and as far as cost outlays, all out there, open book, anybody in the public can go online and see what we’re doing,” he says.

Fostering End-to-End Efficiencies with Integrated Community Development & SeeClickFix 311 CRM

With a strong foundation in place, St. Joseph County is poised to continue its digital transformation journey. The county plans to complete the implementation of the Community Development module, which will centralize key functions like permitting, code enforcement, and health inspections. This next step aligns with the county’s vision of providing 24/7 access to government services, supporting a digital-first approach that meets the evolving needs of its residents.

A top benefit SeeClickFix offers, according to Fotia, is the integrations it has with asset management and code enforcement solutions. By connecting these processes, they can streamline county public works and code enforcement processes with resident requests,
“One of the big reasons for going with SeeClickFix was that it would integrate with our asset management solution which our highway department utilizes for their work ticketing. So, the fact that it could integrate with that solution for highway, and then once we launch Community Development have the code enforcement and the health issues from SeeClickFix feed directly into that solution was incredibly important,” he says.

Streamlined and Personalized Communication with CivicPlus’ Mass Notification System and SeeClickFix 311 CRM

Effective communication is critical for any local government, particularly during emergencies. St. Joseph County’s adoption of the CivicPlus’ Mass Notification System has proven essential in keeping residents informed and connected. Whether delivering critical alerts during severe weather or sharing updates on community events, the solution has enabled the county to reach residents quickly and effectively through email, text, and social media. This multi-channel approach has not only increased the reach of the county’s messages but also ensured that residents receive timely information in their preferred format.

But Fotia recognizes that residents have different preferences. Some may want to call in, some may want to interact digitally, and some may want social notifications. So, a benefit to having both Mass Notification and SeeClickFix 311 CRM is streamlined macro and micro communications for full coverage, while keeping it personalized.

“Everyone has their preferred way of receiving information and communicating, whether it’s going to a website, or social media, or getting emails, or getting text messages or whatever else – the fact that Mass Notification offers so many different channels is a benefit,” says Fotia. “With the combination of SeeClickFix and then Mass Notification, we can communicate with both our employees and residents, sending out the same message through multiple channels so that they can receive the information however they prefer to get it.”

Supercharging Staff Impact

Beyond resident-facing improvements, the CivicPlus platform has played a significant role in enhancing internal collaboration across county departments. By integrating various CivicPlus solutions, the county has created a cohesive system in which data flows seamlessly between departments. This interconnectedness has streamlined workflows, reduced redundancies, and enabled staff to respond more effectively to resident needs, making their service delivery more unified and efficient, which ultimately builds resident trust and satisfaction.

Unlocking Impact-Led Government with a Future-Proof Partner

St. Joseph County’s collaboration with CivicPlus has been a transformative journey, resulting in a fully integrated digital platform that enhances transparency, improves resident engagement, and streamlines county operations.

By consolidating multiple solutions under one vendor, the county has not only simplified its digital infrastructure but also established a scalable system ready to adapt to future challenges. This partnership exemplifies St. Joseph County’s commitment to providing a responsive, accessible government experience that meets the needs of its growing community.

“More and more people are looking for a way to engage with their government without having to come down to a building, find parking, feel that they can get all the information they need, when they need it,” says Fotia.

Fotia expressed optimism about the future, stating, “Being able to have these tools in place, that are scalable and allow us to communicate and be transparent is important for the county and important for our citizens as well. It does take some work, but I think at the end you’re going to say, ‘I can’t believe we didn’t do this sooner.’”