MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR: 311 CALL CENTER

Your One Call to City Hall, 3-1-1 Call Center works diligently every day to find solutions to your inquiries in an efficient manner. That dedication received international attention this year, as our 311 call center was recognized as one of the Top Small Call Centers in the United States and Canada.

The honor is given by BenchmarkPortal, an international organization that is recognized as a leader in call center expertise, certification and training, research and tracking of the industry’s best practices. Benchmark is the world’s largest call center metrics database.

From more than 200 applicants, our 311 call center was chosen for its efficiency in handling such a high volume of calls and for its low employee turnover.

You might be surprised how many calls our call center receives each day. 311 logs an average of 600 calls per day and more than 1,000 calls per day during peak times – such as during flood incidents or snow storms. The call center employees six full-time call takers and is managed by Julie Sanchez.

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311 – which is open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. — is the main service center for answering general information questions about city programs, policies, activities and attractions. 311 call takers also receive and record phone or e-mail requests from citizens and ensure that they are addressed or referred to the appropriate department for resolution.

311 takes calls for 19 City Departments including: Property Management, Purchasing, Neighborhood Code, Street Department, Street Lighting, Sign Shop, Solid Waste, Right of Way, Filtration Plant, Sewer Maintenance, Stormwater Maintenance, Sewer Plant, Water Maintenance, Parking Control, Parks (which includes trees), Fire Administration, Fire Prevention, Animal Care & Control (partially) and the Board of Works.

Despite the fact that 311 has successfully shortened wait times and expanded the number of departments it represents, the call center will not rest on its laurels. The center is continuing to make changes that will strive for excellence and better serve our residents.

On another note, I want to make those of you in Waynedale aware of an infrastructure improvement that will soon be underway in your neighborhood:

Our Board of Works recently accepted bids for a project that would replace a water main on Bluffton Road. This is an aging water main that has had many, many breaks over the years, causing homes and businesses along Bluffton and Lower Huntington roads to be without water on several occasions. Work on this important project is expected to begin this summer and should be completed by November.