'Nassau Now' app offers access at your fingertips

Nassau residents now have access to their county government at the tips of their fingers. County Executive Ed Mangano, a Republican from Bethpage, recently introduced  “Nassau Now,” a free phone application, or app, which is currently available for the iPhone, iPad and iTouch. It will be available soon for Android phones, according to the county website.

“In today’s tech-focused world, I recognize that mobile applications are a great way to connect with the community,” said Mangano in a written release.

The key to the app is accessibility. Upon downloading the app, users can submit a formal request to the county within seconds.

Requests or complaints can be sent to the county clerk, Legislature and even the county executive. Additionally, users can submit photos of potholes, abandoned vehicles or sidewalks that need repair via the app. “It has often been said that a picture is worth a thousand words,” Mangano said, “and with ‘Nassau Now,’ you can quickly and easily express your concerns to Nassau County directly by sending a photo and description through the app.” Additionally, your phone’s GPS will notify the county of the location from which you send your request or complaint.

Other features of the app allow county residents to view schedules of upcoming county events, such as concerts, holiday shows and fireworks displays. A news tab on the app also allows users to view the county’s latest press releases.

The app’s interface is fairly basic and should be no problem for savvy phone users to navigate. However, the app has had registration issues, which county officials said are being worked out.

To test how fast the county responds to requests, the Herald sent one to the county and received a response within two hours.

To coincide with the app, the county has also created a web app, located at https://nassaunow.localitymedia.com/home. By typing in your home address, the site will inform you of your fire district, school district, police precinct, as well as the municipality that owns the street you live on.  Users can also send requests and complaints through the web app, and a view a history of all of their previous correspondences.