Indianapolis’ Dine Out Indy Program Recognized as Best in Smart City Technology, Named 2021 Smart 50 Awards Recipient
The City-County partnered with CityBase to launch the new technology for government services, expediting 100 outdoor dining permits in 4 days
May 24, 2021 (Chicago, IL; Indianapolis, IN) – CityBase, a leading provider of government and utility payment technology, and the City of Indianapolis and Marion County (“Indy”), a recognized pioneer in transforming local government to create a digital city hall, today announced that their Dine Out Indy initiative is being recognized as a 2021 Smart 50 Awards recipient. CityBase is a business unit of GTY Technology Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: GTYH), a leading provider of SaaS/Cloud solutions for the public sector.
The Smart 50 Awards, in partnership with Smart Cities Connect, Smart Cities Connect Foundation, and US Ignite, annually recognize global smart cities projects, honoring the most innovative and influential work. Award recipients represent innovative projects with current and future municipal-scale impact and application.
Indy’s digital public services kickstart the economy
Dine Out Indy helped get Indianapolis restaurants back to business quickly during the pandemic by fast-tracking the permit process for restaurants and bars to add new or expand existing outdoor seating areas. Through the program, Indy expedited more than 100 outdoor dining permits in just four days, so local businesses could reopen quickly and safely.
Following the first Covid-19-related business capacity restrictions in May 2020, Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett and city leaders announced new measures to help restaurants and small businesses safely reopen. Dine Out Indy was part of this initiative led by the City of Indianapolis Mayor’s Office and supported by the Department of Business and Neighborhood Services and the Department of Public Works.
“We are committed to helping ensure that as restaurants and businesses begin to reopen, the safety of employees, business owners, and patrons continues to be a top priority,” said Mayor Hogsett in May 2020. “We recognize how critical small businesses are to the livelihood of our residents, of our economy, and of our character. We will clear as many obstacles as we can to make sure they can continue to be an integral part of the Indianapolis economy.”
An easy government experience for applicants and staff
Indy launched several new digital services to meet shifting demands for residents and businesses. The City created Dine Out Indy in a matter of days using CityBase Screendoor, software that enables digital services, business process automation, and applicant management.
The technology created a single online form for all businesses to complete their application online. For Indy staff, automated shortcuts made it fast and easy for them to process and approve permits. A centralized response dashboard let all staff view submissions, track status, collaborate across teams, and assign next steps.
Facing the pandemic with resilience and commitment to access
“Under public health orders, all of our restaurants were closed down or could only serve carry-out only. Dine Out Indy was a way to quickly create outdoor spaces for restaurants and for people to dine out in a safe and easy manner,” said Sonya Seeder, License and Permits Administrator for the City of Indianapolis. “With CityBase technologies, we were able — from May 19 through May 22 — to review and issue over 100 permits. That’s four days and 100 permits after we quickly built up the program. The program impacted residents and businesses by allowing some of our small businesses to open back up, and allowing people to get back to work, to get back out and support the economy.”
In a year of rapid change, Indianapolis was prepared to step up and meet the evolving needs of their residents and businesses fast. The Dine Out Indy program is one example of the many new services launched and in-person services that were newly digitized. Their digital city hall proved resilient for both the people in their community and the public servants who were tasked with keeping government running smoothly.
“Indianapolis is an incredibly forward-thinking city, with a proven track record of using technology to make government operations run more efficiently,” said Mike Duffy, CEO and Founder of CityBase. “Their vision of making government services available immediately from anywhere to anyone has helped shape our own vision.”
Additional recognition for innovative government solutions
In 2018, the City of Indianapolis and Marion County won the prestigious Innovator of the Year Mira award for their relaunch of Indy.gov, an initiative they worked with CityBase to achieve. The website acts as a digital city hall for the City-County, making it easier for Indy residents to find, apply, and pay for all necessary services. The website’s underlying technology enables Indy staff to quickly launch and evolve new digital services, like the Dine Out Indy program.
Last year, CityBase’s client the City of San José, CA, was honored as a 2020 Smart 50 Awards recipient for the San José Business Registration, Tax Calculation, and Amnesty program. In the first three months of the digitized process, 1,500 businesses newly registered with the City and paid taxes for the first time.
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About CityBase
CityBase makes government and utility technology that modernizes and unifies the way people find, apply, and pay for services. More than 100 government agencies, utilities, cities, and counties use CityBase technology to provide hassle-free payments and digital services to their customers and staff. CityBase integrates payment functionality, business processes, and communications onto a central, cloud-based platform that consumers can access through the web, mobile, kiosk, or point of sale. Learn more at thecitybase.com.
About GTY Technology Holdings Inc.
GTY Technology Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:GTYH) (“GTY”) brings leading public sector technology companies together to achieve a new standard in stakeholder engagement and resource management. Through its six business units, GTY offers an intuitive cloud-based suite of solutions for state and local governments, education institutions, and healthcare organizations spanning functions in procurement, payments, grant management, budgeting, and permitting: Bonfire provides strategic sourcing and procurement software to enable confident and compliant spending decisions; CityBase provides government payment solutions to connect constituents with utilities and government agencies; eCivis offers a grant management system to maximize grant revenues and track performance; OpenCounter provides government permitting software to guide applicants through complex permitting and licensing procedures; Questica offers budget preparation and management software to deliver on financial and non- financial strategic objectives; Sherpa provides public sector budgeting software and consulting services.
Media:
Kate Nesbitt
Alloy Communications
kate@helloalloy.com
240-630-2653
