A new web-based tool from Okaloosa County allows citizens to identify which municipalities are responsible for roadways.
The tool was unveiled at last week’s Board of County Commissioner meeting where Commissioner Carolyn Ketchel explained many citizen concerns and complaints pertain to roads.
“I said to (Public Works Director) Mr. Autrey we really need an app or something where citizens can click and find out if a road is run by the county or this road is run by Florida Department of Transportation,” said Ketchel.
For instance, Ketchel used Hollywood Boulevard which crosses county city limits.
“Hollywood Boulevard is a nightmare because it’s in the county at some points, it’s also in the city of Fort Walton Beach, and it’s also in the city of Mary Esther.”
The Road Management Information tool allows users to search within 250 feet of any location. When users select a road, a pop-up shows not only the municipality that manages the road, but links to the agency.
While praising the work done by the county, Ketchel noted the tool should be available throughout the state.
“All 67 counties need this,” she said.
“We took existing GIS data we had for years and merged it with other existing data that we had throughout the county,” explained Dan Sambenedetto, who heads the county’s IT Department. “We just didn’t have the idea to package it up to the public in an easy-to-use interface.”
Sambenedetto also noted that errors in the tool can be reported on the help tab.
