Beginning Sept. 3, the City of Allen invites residents to join the conversation online at www.AllenIdeas.com. In partnership with MindMixer, the City of Allen is using the web-based civic engagement platform to seek feedback and capture new ideas on a variety of topics related to updating the comprehensive plan.
Similar to other social networking sites, www.AllenIdeas.com is an interactive platform designed to open a dialogue and capture new ideas through feedback on surveys, polls, photo responses and idea submissions. Discussion topics will include questions on transportation, housing, neighborhood integrity, community facilities, economic development and more.
In order to participate, residents simply need to sign-up using existing accounts with Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ or any standard email address. Once registered and logged in, residents can post comments and access the tool through various mobile devices. Because the site is interactive, the ideas and comments will continue to evolve. Residents are encouraged to visit the site on a regular basis to follow the conversations.
The entire engagement process to update the comprehensive plan will take about three months which includes city staff facilitating the conversation, preparing drafts based on the input and then sharing results online before proposing final updates to Allen City Council.