Victorville City expands resident outreach with app, podcast and bus tours

Victorville City’s Public Information Office is rolling out a suite of outreach tools intended to give residents easier, faster access to city services and information.

Sue Jones, public information officer for Victorville City, said the office has begun producing a podcast to “explore issues in more depth,” and recently launched a free mobile app called Victorville Now to let residents report issues and request services from their phones. Jones said the city is also offering a four‑hour Victorville 101 bus tour to show residents city operations and strategic goals.

“The easiest way to describe it is it's the communication arm of the city,” Jones said, summarizing the office’s role in managing website content, social media and media relations and serving as the city’s spokesperson.

Jones said the office supports all 16 city departments and that the Victorville Now app is intended to allow residents to send photos and descriptions of neighborhood problems so staff can respond more quickly. She described the podcast as a format better suited for background and legal context than social posts or press releases.

The city also plans a website redesign, Jones said, with a redesign project due to begin in the next few months and an anticipated build time of “probably 9 months or so.” The redesign aims to reorganize information so residents can find services and deadlines more quickly.

Production of the podcast and many videos is handled largely in‑house, Jones said, by a team member trained in film production; she said equipment costs were minimal and that outside vendors are used only occasionally for complex printing or specialty projects.

Jones framed the outreach work as part of the office’s broader mission: “to connect the community with their local government,” and said these tools are intended to meet residents where they are—on mobile devices, streaming platforms or in person on bus tours.

The episode noted other planned uses of video, including streaming for targeted campaigns and future in‑facility displays at sites such as City Hall and the new library.

Next steps: Victorville City will roll out the app and begin the website redesign in the coming months; the office encouraged residents to download Victorville Now and follow the city’s social channels for updates.