Somerville to Launch "OpenData" Cloud-Based Portal in July

Residents interested in tracking government spending, crime statistics or 311 constituent services data will have an easier way to do it this summer.

According to an announcement from the city, Somerville is launching an "OpenData" cloud-based portal in July that will allow the city to share an array of data and information with the general public.

The announcement says Somerville will be the first community in New England to use the cloud-based portal, which is developed and hosted by Socrata, Inc,. a Seattle-based company. Other cities in the country, such as New York, Chicago, Seattle and Baltimore already use the system, the announcement says.

According to the announcement, some of the information residents will be able to access using the Socrata portal include:

• 311 work orders and related data
• Geospacial and mapping data
• Public safety data, such as neighborhood crime statistics, parking violations and moving vehicle violations
• Health and Inspectional Services Division information
• Budget and government expenditure information

In a statement included in the announcement, Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone said about the OpenData portal, "Somerville has continually been at the forefront of innovative government and management and transparency, and we're excited to roll out this latest data tracking tool to bring real time information to residents."

When it launches in July, people will be able to access the portal at data.somerville.gov.