* WARNING: THIS IS AN UNOFFICIAL, INTRODUCTORY COPY OF THE BILL.
THE OFFICIAL COPY CONSIDERED BY THE CITY COUNCIL IS THE FIRST READER COPY.
INTRODUCTORY*
CITY OF BALTIMORE
COUNCIL BILL R
(Resolution)
Introduced by: Councilmember Holton
A RESOLUTION ENTITLED
A COUNCIL RESOLUTION concerning
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Informational Hearing - Tracking Processes for 311 Complaints
FOR the purpose of calling on representatives from the Mayor's Office of Information Technology, and its Unified Call Center Services Division, to appear before the City Council to discuss the tracking process for 311 service requests, the effectiveness of 311 in satisfactorily resolving complaints, and how best to communicate information about 311 complaints to the general public.
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Recitals
Baltimore pioneered the use of centralized call centers for non-emergency complaints as the first city to launch a 311 service in 1996 that went on to serve as a nationwide model. The expansion of 311 to include a much broader range of services around the turn of the century under Mayor Martin O'Malley, and the more recent introduction of a free 311 smartphone app for reporting and tracking service requests, continued Baltimore's path-breaking role in the field.
However, citizens still raise concerns about the efficiency of 311's centralized complaint system and their ability to track the City's progress towards resolving complaints. Some feel that the current system does not provide sufficient transparency as to who is responsible for a particular complaint, or exactly what has been done to "close" a service request. In other instances, citizens are simply not made aware of what tools are available for tracking service requests and so are left in the dark about the results of their calls.
All of this raises the simple question - is 311 working? How many service requests are satisfactorily resolved and how many instead go unanswered or are "closed" by the system but then require follow-up requests by residents who aren't satisfied by the initial response? What tools are available for citizens to track requests, and do these tools provide the information that they want? Is enough being done to make people aware of the tools available for request tracking, and to keep citizens updated about, and engaged with, the process of resolving complaints? Where can improvements be made?
It is important that these questions be seriously considered and throughly answered. The best way to ensure that 311 continues to be responsive to the needs of Baltimore's residents is to periodically review its performance, and present those responsible for its operation with the opportunity to receive feedback from regular Baltimoreans and the people's representatives on the City Council.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE, That the Council calls on representatives from the Mayor's Office of Information Technology, and its Unified Call Center Services Division, to appear before the Council to discuss the tracking process for 311 service requests, the effectiveness of 311 in satisfactorily resolving complaints, and how best to communicate information about 311 complaints to the general public.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be sent to the Chief Information Officer of the Mayor's Office of Information Technology (MOIT), the head of MOIT's Unified Call Center Services Division, the Mayor, and the Mayor's Legislative Liaison to the City Council.
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