App developer needed for community app

LocalSquare Civic App 1. Project Overview LocalSquare is a location-based civic and community app connecting: Residents Municipal governments Local businesses Community organizations The app will launch in Rutherford, New Jersey, and East Rutherford NJ, with the ability to expand into additional town, counties, and cities. Each town should have its own localized content, alerts, events, businesses, discussions, classifieds, civic tools, and municipal services. 2. Required Platforms Resident App iOS mobile app Android mobile app Responsive mobile/web version preferred Management Portals Municipal administration dashboard Resident/user dashboard Local business dashboard LocalSquare super-admin dashboard (owner only) 3. User Types Resident Can view town information, receive alerts, interact with community content, follow businesses, attend events, submit requests, access civic tools, and use verified-user features such as classifieds. Municipal Administrator Can publish official information, alerts, events, polls, announcements, and respond to resident requests. (option for push notifications in case of emergencies) Local Business Can create and manage a business profile, post promotions, publish events, participate in programs such as Restaurant Week, and post approved paid classified listings. LocalSquare Administrator Controls all towns, users, businesses, content, approvals, subscriptions, advertisements, classifieds, reports, verification, integrations, and app settings. 4. Resident Registration and Onboarding Because of the way apple is set up be aware of what is allowed and not allowed as a requirement to sign up Sign up with email, phone number, Google, or Apple Verify email or phone number Enter or allow location Select hometown Optional address verification for resident-only features Identity/person verification for certain enhanced features Select notification interests Create profile with name, photo, and short bio Follow additional towns, businesses, or categories Super Admin can turn additional-town following on or off Accept terms, privacy policy, and community guidelines Residents should see content based primarily on their selected hometown and possibly adjacent towns if they wish, they should be able to pick from nearby towns or by mile radius Verified address data should be reusable for civic tools when permitted. 5. Home Screen The home screen should combine important local information in one personalized feed. Home Screen Sections Emergency and important town alerts Official municipal announcements Upcoming events Community posts Local business promotions Resident polls and questions Service-request updates Featured town content Sponsored local content Classified listings Civic information Users should be able to turn sections on and off to keep it clean or cluttered Content should be filterable by: Official Community Events Businesses Alerts Nearby 6. Town Alerts and Notifications Municipal administrators can publish: Emergency alerts Weather-related notices Road closures Parking restrictions Garbage and recycling changes School or municipal closures Construction notices Public safety information General announcements Alert Options Push notification In-app notification Email notification SMS notification as an optional integration Alert priority: emergency, important, or general Schedule alerts in advance Set expiration date Target the entire town or selected neighborhoods Require resident acknowledgment for critical alerts 7. Community Feed Residents, businesses, organizations, and municipal accounts can create posts. Post Features Text limited to 140 characters initially Super Admin can increase the character limit Photos 1 short video Links Location tags Categories Likes or reactions Comments and replies Share post Save post Follow post Report post Edit or delete own post Pin important posts Official municipal verification badge controlled by Super Admin Suggested Categories General Town News Recommendations Lost and Found Public Safety Questions Events Local Businesses Volunteering Schools Traffic and Parking 8. Resident Questions and Discussions Residents can ask questions about the town or community. Examples: Parking rules Town services Business recommendations Local regulations Neighborhood concerns Upcoming projects Features Ask a public question Select a category Add photos Allow resident answers Allow official municipal answers Mark an answer as official Mark a question as resolved Search previous questions Upvote helpful responses Report inappropriate answers 9. Municipal Service Requests Residents can report non-emergency town issues and tag or manually enter an address and upload 1 picture. This should be emailed to a specific email address or multiple depending on the town. Request Types Potholes Streetlights Garbage Illegal dumping Sidewalk damage Parking concerns Tree issues Graffiti Sign damage Water or sewer concerns Other municipal issues Snow removal Municipal Payments The app should also provide access or integrations for: Pay water bill Pay parking tickets Pay annual fire inspection fees for businesses Pay property taxes Pay other municipal fees the town may want to collect Resident Workflow Select issue category. Add description. Upload 1 photo. Automatically capture or manually enter location. Submit request. Receive a request number. Track request status. Receive updates and completion notification. Rate the response after completion. Municipal Workflow Receive new request through dashboard plus email/text notification if enabled. Review request and location. Assign it to the correct department or employee. Change status. Add internal notes or resident-facing updates. Request additional information. Mark request completed. View response-time reports. Status Options Submitted Under Review Assigned In Progress Waiting for Information Completed Closed Rejected or Duplicate 10. Town Events Calendar A centralized calendar containing municipal, community, nonprofit, school, and business events. Event Features Event title and description Date and time Recurring events Location and map 1 photo Organizer information Registration or ticket link Free or paid designation RSVP Add to personal calendar Share event Event reminders Attendance count Event categories Municipal approval for public submissions Residents should be able to browse events by date, category, town, or distance. 11. Local Business Directory Each town will have a searchable directory of local businesses. Business Profile Business name Logo and cover photo Description Category Address and map Phone number Website Social media links: Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, X Business hours Menu or services Up to 10 photos 1 short video Delivery, reservation, or ordering links that open in-app as a web brower Special offers Upcoming events Verified business badge for paid businesses ($3/month) Follow business button Contact business button by phone and email Directory Filters Category Open now Distance Town New businesses Featured businesses Offers available Restaurant Week participants The initial version does not need a full public review system. Residents may: Like Save Follow Share Flag 12. Business Promotions and Posts Businesses can publish one promotion for free, then future promotions are paid. Businesses can publish: Promotions New products Menu updates Grand openings Job openings Events Community announcements Limited-time offers Discount codes Businesses should be able to select: Start and expiration dates Daily budget Target towns ZIP codes County State Radius instead of specific towns Post category Organic or sponsored placement Call-to-action button This section should function similarly to a simplified Instagram or TikTok promotion system. Possible Call-to-Action Buttons Call Visit Website Reserve Order Get Directions Claim Offer 13. Classifieds Marketplace LocalSquare should include a verified-user classifieds marketplace for residents and businesses. Users must complete identity/person verification before being allowed to create classified listings. All classified listings: Require user or business verification Require payment before submission Require LocalSquare/Admin approval before going live Can be approved, rejected, suspended, edited, or removed by Admin Have configurable posting fees controlled by Super Admin Have configurable expiration dates Can include photos Include description Include location or town Include price or compensation when applicable Include contact method Can be reported by users Clearly show whether the poster is a verified person or verified business Classified Category 1: Real Estate Users can toggle between: For Rent For Sale Real estate listings can include: Property type Address or general location Monthly rent or sale price Bedrooms Bathrooms Photos Description Contact information Available date External link if needed Real estate listings require verified users or verified businesses before posting. Classified Category 2: Gigs For local short-term jobs, temporary work, and gig opportunities. Examples: Moving help Cleaning Handyman work Event help Delivery Temporary restaurant work Photography Yard work Other local jobs Gig listings can include: Job title Job description Pay/rate Date Time Location Contact information Individual or business posting the gig Classified Category 3: For Sale Residents and businesses can sell local items. Examples: Garage sale items Furniture Electronics Clothing Household items Business equipment Restaurant equipment Office equipment General merchandise Listings can include: Item title Price Photos Description Condition Location Seller contact information Classified Admin Controls LocalSquare Super Admin should be able to: Create new classified categories and subcategories Set posting fees by category Set listing expiration periods Approve or reject listings Verify users and businesses Remove or suspend listings Refund posting fees if necessary Feature listings for an additional fee Promote listings for an additional fee View classified revenue View classified listing analytics Turn classified categories on or off by town 14. Restaurant Week and Town Programs Municipal or LocalSquare administrators can create programs such as: Restaurant Week Shop Local Week Holiday promotions Farmers markets Street fairs City Council meeting schedules and agendas Planning Board meeting schedules and agendas Other government meetings Community events Restaurant Week Features Participating restaurant directory Restaurant profiles Prix-fixe menus Dates and hours Reservations or ordering links Map view Save favorites Check-in or participation tracking Featured restaurants Sponsor placements Program analytics The system should be reusable for different towns and different promotional programs. 15. Polls, Surveys, and Civic Feedback The app Administrator and the Municipal administrators can create: Public opinion polls Community surveys Project feedback forms Budget-priority questions Event feedback limited to 140 characters Multiple-choice questions Yes-or-no questions Written-response questions limited to 140 characters Poll Settings Start and end date Anonymous or identified responses Public or private results Verified-resident-only participation One response per user Town-wide targeting Neighborhood targeting, city, county, state, national Ward targeting Export results Display charts and percentages Polls should clearly state that they are informational unless officially designated otherwise. 16. My Representatives LocalSquare should include a My Representatives civic-information feature. The feature should use the resident's verified home address, when available, to identify the elected officials who represent that resident. Use Cicero API or a comparable representative/district API. The system should support federal, state, county, and local officials where data is available. Representative Categories Federal President / Vice President U.S. Senators U.S. House Representative Other relevant federal elected officials if available State Governor State Senator State Assembly/House members Other relevant state officials if available County County Executive County Commissioners Other county-level elected officials if available Local Mayor Council members Ward representative Other municipal elected officials where available UPCOMING ELECTION DATE TIME AND LOCATIONS Representative Profile Each representative profile should display, where available: Photo Name Office/title Political party District Government level Phone number Email Official website Contact button (with call or email option) Resident Workflow Resident opens My Representatives. App uses verified address if already available. If no verified address exists, resident can enter/verify address. App sends address to Cicero API or comparable provider. App identifies districts and elected officials. Resident sees representatives grouped by government level. Resident can tap an official to view contact details. Resident can call, email, or visit the official website when available. Technical Requirements Reuse a resident's verified address when possible Avoid unnecessary repeat API calls Cache/store representative results only as allowed by the API provider's licensing terms Refresh representative data periodically or when elections/districts change Handle incomplete local-official coverage gracefully Clearly indicate when certain information is unavailable Do not guess or manually invent missing officials Super Admin Controls LocalSquare Super Admin should be able to: Turn My Representatives on/off by town Select/configure representative API provider Manage API credentials View API usage View lookup volume by town Force data refresh when needed Configure which government levels are displayed Add or correct manually verified local official information if API coverage is incomplete Control whether the feature requires verified resident status PUBLISH ADS ON THE MY REPRESENTIVE PAGE, FOR EXAMPLE “VOTE FOR TOM” 17. Personalized Notifications Residents can control which notifications they receive. Notification Categories Emergency alerts Town announcements Events Service-request updates Business promotions Followed businesses Community replies Polls and surveys Saved-event reminders Restaurant Week Nearby activity Classified activity Civic information updates if enabled Users should be able to mute specific categories while emergency alerts remain enabled when legally appropriate. 18. Search Universal search across: Businesses Events Community posts Questions Town announcements Municipal services Programs Users Organizations Classified listings Civic information where appropriate Search results should be filterable by: Town Category Date Content type 19. Maps and Location Features Map of businesses Map of events Map of service requests when publicly allowed Map of relevant classified listings Nearby content Directions through Apple Maps or Google Maps Neighborhood targeting Location selection when submitting an issue Distance-based search Location privacy controls Exact resident addresses should never be displayed publicly unless the verified user intentionally provides an address for an appropriate listing and the system allows it. 20. Community Organizations Schools, nonprofits, sports groups, religious organizations, and civic groups can have organization profiles. Organization Features Description Contact information Events Announcements Volunteer opportunities Donation link Photos Followers Verified organization badge Organization profiles and posting access should require administrator approval. 21. Saved Items and Personal Activity Residents can access: Saved businesses Saved events Saved posts Saved classified listings Followed businesses Followed organizations Submitted service requests Poll participation Comments and posts Notification history Upcoming RSVPs Their own classified listings Recent civic-information activity where appropriate Users should be able to remove or delete applicable items from their personal activity. 22. Safety, Moderation, Verification, and Reporting Resident Controls Report post Report comment Report user Report classified listing Block user Hide content Verification Certain features should require stronger identity/person verification. Examples: Classified posting Verified-resident polls My Representatives if enabled as verified-only Other sensitive civic features Features designated by Super Admin The system should allow Super Admin to determine which features require verification. Moderator Controls Review reported content Remove posts or comments Warn users Suspend or ban accounts Restrict posting Approve businesses and organizations Approve or reject classified listings View moderation history Filter prohibited words Detect repeated spam Maintain an audit log Manage identity verification status where appropriate The app should clearly state that it is not a replacement for 911 or emergency services. 23. Municipal Administration Dashboard Municipal users should be able to: Publish alerts and announcements Schedule content Manage the town calendar Create polls and surveys Review service requests Assign requests to departments Respond to residents Approve submitted events Approve organizations View resident engagement Send targeted notifications Export reports Manage municipal staff accounts Assign staff permissions Municipal Permission Levels Town administrator Department manager Staff member Content publisher Service-request manager Read-only analyst 24. Business Dashboard Businesses should be able to: Claim or create a business listing Submit verification documents Edit business information Upload up to 10 photos Upload 1 video Publish posts and promotions Create events Upload Restaurant Week menus View followers View post performance (super admin can turn this on/off) Purchase subscriptions Purchase sponsored placements Post paid classified listings Manage billing Receive messages or inquiries Add additional staff accounts Business profile changes may require administrator approval. 25. LocalSquare Super-Admin Dashboard LocalSquare administrators must be able to: Create and manage towns Manage municipal accounts Manage residents Manage businesses and organizations Approve account claims Manage resident/user verification Review reported content Approve classified listings Manage classified categories Control categories Manage subscriptions Manage advertisements Create town programs Send platform-wide notifications View analytics by town Export data Manage banners and featured content Configure town-specific settings Turn features on or off by town Set classified posting fees Manage listing fees Manage My Representatives settings Manage civic API credentials View civic API usage View payment history Maintain system audit logs The platform must support multiple towns without requiring a separate app for each town. 26. Revenue and Payment Features Possible Revenue Sources Business subscriptions Featured business listings Sponsored posts Event promotion Classified posting fees Featured classified listings Restaurant Week participation fees Banner advertisements Municipal licensing or subscription fees Premium organization profiles Program sponsorships Political ads Payment Requirements Stripe or comparable payment processor Monthly and annual subscriptions One-time promotional purchases Classified listing payments Automatic receipts Subscription upgrades and cancellation Discount codes Payment history Refund controls for administrators 27. Analytics Municipal Analytics Active residents Alert views Announcement engagement Poll participation Event RSVPs Service-request volume Average response time Requests by department or category Business Analytics (super admin can turn on/off) Profile views Followers Promotion views Link clicks Offer claims Event engagement Classified listing views if applicable LocalSquare Analytics Users by town Daily active users Monthly active users User retention Most popular content Business conversion rates Subscription revenue Advertising revenue Classified revenue Classified listing activity Moderation activity Verification activity Notification performance Representative lookup volume Civic API usage by town I would like to ask people in the civics app if they lean democrat, republican, independent, other 28. Main Workflows Resident Workflow Download app. Register and select hometown. Select interests and notifications. View personalized local feed. Follow businesses and organizations. View alerts and events. Post, comment, ask questions, or vote in polls. Submit and track municipal requests. Browse classifieds. Complete identity verification if using a verified feature. Pay for and submit classified listing if desired. View My Representatives. Save content and receive relevant updates. Municipal Workflow LocalSquare creates the town account. Municipality adds authorized staff. Staff publishes official information. Residents receive targeted alerts. Service requests are received and assigned. Staff updates request statuses. Municipality creates events, polls, and surveys. Staff reviews analytics and exports reports. Business Workflow Business creates or claims its listing. LocalSquare verifies the business. Business completes its profile. Business publishes promotions or events. Business joins town programs. Business purchases optional premium placement. Business can pay for and submit classified listings. Business reviews engagement analytics. Classified Workflow User selects classified category. User completes identity/business verification if not already verified. User creates listing. User pays required posting fee. Listing enters LocalSquare approval queue. Admin reviews listing. Admin approves or rejects listing. Approved listing becomes public. Listing expires after configured period unless renewed. User or Admin can remove listing. My Representatives Workflow Resident opens My Representatives. System uses verified home address if available. If needed, resident enters/verifies address. Address is sent to Cicero API or comparable provider. System receives district and elected-official data. Representatives are grouped by federal, state, county, and local levels. Resident selects an official. Resident can view available contact information and official links. Content Moderation Workflow User reports content. Report enters moderation queue. Administrator reviews content and account history. Administrator dismisses the report or takes action. Action is recorded in the audit log. User is notified when appropriate. 29. Technical and Security Requirements Secure user authentication Role-based permissions Scalable multi-town database Identity/person verification capability Verified-address support Civic representative API integration Cloud hosting Encrypted data transmission Secure password storage Payment-security compliance Privacy controls Data backups Error logging Administrator audit logs Spam protection Account deletion Data export upon request Terms and privacy-policy acceptance tracking Accessibility support App Store and Google Play submission support