Connecting the city to its citizens

At the conclusion of a recent Camas City Council workshop, Mayor Scott Higgins hinted that he would be unveiling some new technology at the Oct. 19 State of the Community address. "We are looking forward to sharing some things with the community," he said, humorously describing them as "top secret." On Monday, the citizens who attended the public event held at Camas High School got to hear exactly what he was talking about. Higgins introduced the city's first foray into the world of social media, micro-blogging and mobile device applications. The city's new free app, which has been in the planning stages for several months, is called CamasConnect It can be downloaded onto Android and Apple devices. "Camas is now going to be the only city in Clark County, and the only city in our area, to have an app," he said. "We are launching that app tonight."CamasConnect allows users to perform actions including creating a service request, viewing a calendar of events and meetings, receiving news and notifications, paying utility bills, registering for parks and recreation classes and activities, watching City Council meetings, contacting city officials and reporting issues ranging from pot holes on city streets to barking dog nuisances in local neighborhoods. "As you can tell, maybe, by how fast I'm speaking and also by the tone of my voice, I'm really excited about it," Higgins said. "I love it when Camas is first and best at stuff." The city has also updated its website, and launched a Twitter feed, Facebook page and YouTube channel. "We are looking forward to providing the citizens with lots of information, so they can know what is happening in the community," Higgins said. "We live in a modern era, with all kinds of great technology. We have technology businesses surrounding us everywhere in Camas." The mayor referenced semiconductor manufacturer WaferTech, which has been located on Prune Hill in Camas since 1996 and currently employs approximately 1,000 people. Its parent company, Taiwan-based TSMC, is the world's largest contract manufacturer of computer chips. "One of the greatest microchip makers for Apple products in the world is happening right up here off of Lake Road," Higgins said. "They make chips that go into your Apple devices, your phones and your technology. So, it's just only fitting to make sure that we as a city match the technology that is being produced right here in our community."

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