5 Simple Communication Fixes to Modernize Your Department

If you work in Planning, Building, Public Safety, or any front-facing local government department, you’ve probably seen the word “modernization” more times than you can count.

New systems. New portals. New platforms. New everything.

But in reality, a lot of what residents and contractors experience as “modern” has less to do with shiny new tools and much more to do with clear, predictable, respectful communication.

The good news? You don’t need a full tech overhaul to get there. A few small tweaks in how your team writes, responds, and follows up can make your department feel noticeably more organized and up-to-date (to both the public and your internal partners).

Here are five simple, practical shifts that go a long way.

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1. Let Your Subject Lines Do the Heavy Lifting

A lot of government email still arrives with vague or intimidating subject lines: “Permit Update,” “Regarding Your Application,” “Notice,” “Documentation Needed.”

Clear beats formal every time.

Instead of:

“Permit Update”

Try:

“Next Steps for Your Electrical Permit (1234-AB)”
“We Received Your Application – Here’s What Happens Next”
“Action Needed: One Item Missing from Your Fence Permit”

Good subject lines do three things:

• Set expectations
• Reduce panic
• Cut down on follow-up emails like “Did you get this?” or “What is this about?”
  
  

It’s a small change that immediately feels more organized, transparent, and modern.

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2. Always Include “Here’s What Happens Next”

Most frustration doesn’t come from the answer itself, it comes from not knowing what to do with it.

Whenever you respond, try to include one short line that orients the person:

• what they should do
• roughly how long it might take
• what the next step is if they have questions
  
  

For example:

“Your application is complete and in review. Our team will follow up within 5–7 business days. If you don’t hear from us by then, feel free to reply to this email.”

Or:

“Before we can proceed, please upload the missing site plan to the portal. Once it’s received, we’ll review within three business days.”

You’re not promising the world, you’re just shrinking uncertainty. That alone makes your department feel far more “modern” and trustworthy.

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3. Link to the Exact Thing (Not Just the Homepage)

“More information is available on our website.”

Sure. But where?

When someone is already confused or stressed (which is often the case with permits, inspections, violations, or safety issues), sending them on a digital scavenger hunt doesn’t help.

Whenever possible, link directly to:

• the specific form
  
  
• the checklist they need
  
  
• the page with step-by-step instructions
  
  
• the portal login they should use
  
  

It’s a five-second habit that saves everyone multiple back-and-forth emails and quietly signals, we respect your time.

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4. Make Your Signature Actually Useful

Signatures are one of the most overlooked pieces of communication infrastructure.

A modern-feeling signature doesn’t need a logo wall and three taglines. It just needs to be consistent and helpful.

Think:

Name, title, department
Main phone / general inbox
Link to your main permitting/portal page
Optional: link to hours or “Where to find us”

The key is consistency across staff. When residents see similar signatures from different people, it reinforces that they’re working with one coordinated team instead of a maze of disconnected contacts.

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5. Turn Your “Best Replies” into Shared Standards

Every department has those questions that are technically straightforward, but hard to explain in plain language: setbacks, use permissions, change-of-use, home occupations, variance vs. by-right, etc.

If five staff members describe the same rule five different ways, residents and contractors notice.

Having shared “gold standard” explanations for your most misunderstood topics that are plain-language, consistent with code, and easy for staff to reuse is essential for clear communication across the board.

That consistency:

• Prevents mixed messages
  
  
• Makes newer staff sound as confident as seasoned staff
  
  
• Quietly raises the professionalism of every interaction

Well-crafted, shared responses can do wonders for a more “modern” reputation, and it doesn’t need to be complicated to use or require a system overhaul…

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Where Acta Fits In

Ultimately, the departments that feel most “modern” to residents are the ones that give clear, quick, and quality answers consistently that they know they can trust. 

Acta has tools to make this possible.

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Over 55 cities and counties have used Acta to:

• Store and reuse those “gold standard” explanations so everyone’s on the same page (with the Operations Manual in the browser you already use).
  
  
• Insert the right forms and links into replies without hunting them down (with the Smart Response System right inside Outlook).
  
  
• Keep messaging aligned as staff change roles or workload spikes, without replacing existing platforms.
  
  

If you’re curious how to turn a few of these tweaks into something your whole team can benefit from, without a full system overhaul, we’re happy to talk through what’s worked elsewhere.

In the meantime, even picking one or two of these changes moves you closer to the kind of memorable communication residents appreciate: clear, easy, and modern.