Bethlehem to open internet portal for public information
Bethlehem will soon be opening an internet portal through which a treasure trove of information — about things such as crime, demographics and traffic — it uses every day to make decisions will be opened up for public review.
On Tuesday night, City Council unanimously adopted an ordinance establishing an open data program and an open data online portal, a move council members say will make city government more transparent for constituents and perhaps lead to greater efficiency in service delivery and more economic development.
“This data has immense benefits that we aren’t aware of yet,” said council President J. William Reynolds, who proposed the ordinance.
The hope is that tech-savvy millennials, “civic hackers,” and citizen watchdogs will use the data to suggest better government policies. The data might also be useful for nonprofits who can use it to better target their services or for entrepreneurs who can spot a business opportunity in the data.
Establishing a new open data portal was part of an eight-part progressive policy plan Reynolds laid out in January for improving city government. Other goals included reducing the city’s carbon footprint, improving the city’s social media presence and limiting campaign contributions.
Open data has become a growing trend in government, though there are few cities as small as Bethlehem that have seized on it, according to Councilman Shawn Martell, who enthusiastically backed the plan.
“Open data really is a democratic thing,” he said.
In 2009, the federal government started posting huge data sets ranging from lists of failed banks to names of federal contractors. It has spurred other governments to do the same. Last year, Gov. Tom Wolf announced a portal for posting data on state contracts, state employees' salaries and campaign finances, among other things.
The U.S. Open Data Census ranks 122 cities on availability of data, placing Las Vegas at the top for releasing 20 types of records including crime, zoning, building inspections, construction permits and campaign finances. It's followed by Chicago; Austin, Texas; San Francisco; and Los Angeles. Two Pennsylvania cities made the list: Philadelphia ranks No. 8 and Pittsburgh 18.
Mayor Robert Donchez and his administration have also backed establishing the open data portal.
Business Administrator David Brong told council that the biggest obstacle has been finding a way to create an efficient interface between the city’s systems and the portal to make the data publicly available without needing to continually refresh the database. But he added that the solution could be as little as a month away.
“The possibilities that can come from this are limitless and exponential,” Councilman Adam Waldron said.
