Case Study: Coon Rapids, MN achieves efficient vacant-property tracking and neighborhood preservation with Cityworks

City of Coon Rapids - Customer Case Study

Coon Rapids, MN faced a surge of 450–600 foreclosed and vacant properties per year beginning in 2008, causing burst water pipes, uncut grass and other neighborhood deterioration. The city needed a more efficient way to track and manage these sites than spreadsheets, and turned to the vendor Cityworks—using Cityworks together with GIS (Esri’s ArcGIS) to extend the Public Works system to code enforcement and property maintenance.

Cityworks was configured to attach work orders to address points and track tasks such as water shutoffs, owner communications, abatements, rental licensing and inspections, creating a searchable history for each property. As a result, Coon Rapids improved coordination of repairs and inspections, preserved vacant properties as assets rather than liabilities, and gained map-based visibility to inform staff and city council—helping the city sustain operations through the foreclosure crisis using Cityworks.

Coon Rapids, MN

Cindy Hintze

Administrative Specialist