New app lets Vienna residents alert town to potholes, trash issues and more

Sick of running into the same pothole whenever you leave the house? The Town of Vienna now has an app to help take care of that — as long as it’s within the town’s limits.

The town recently released a new Vienna Connect app that will serve as its new non-emergency service request platform.

The app aims to serve as a “more intuitive” platform to report issues with roads, trash, animals, construction sites and more, Vienna Information Technology Director Tony Mull said in the August issue of the town’s Vienna Voice newsletter.

In addition to being less intuitive, the previous platform encountered technical challenges when related software was upgraded, frustrating residents, elected officials and town employees alike, according to Town of Vienna spokesperson Karen Thayer.

“The Vienna Connect app provides seamless flexibility in reporting options (it works well via mobile devices and desktop computers), provides greater communication functionality than the old platform (internal and external communication features are included in the app) and it gives users the option of checking the status of their report/request online,” Thayer said by email.

It cost $12,000 to establish Vienna Connect. Since the app launched in mid-July, the town says it has already received 51 reports through it.

Reports will be monitored from 8 a.m.-4:40 p.m. on weekdays and responded to within a business day.

Vienna Connect also allows users to upload photos to accompany complaints. The app is available for download on Apple and Android devices. Service requests can also be filed online.

The town emphasizes that Vienna Connect is intended for service requests that are not urgent. Residents requiring police assistance should call 911 or the Vienna Police Department’s non-emergency police number at 703-255-6366.

Water and sewer-related emergencies can be reported to the town at 703-255-6366.