City’s New 311 Phone Plan Is Olive Branch to Valley By JACQUELINE FOX Staff Reporter Two days after the failure of Measure F at the polls, the city of Los Angeles unveiled its new 311 program designed to make it easier to get a pothole filled, a street light installed, or a recycling container replaced without having to go through what many in the San Fernando Valley and citywide have labeled voice mail hell. The program, part of a five-year agreement between the city and SBC Pacific Bell and Verizon Communications, is one of several changes at City Hall Mayor James Hahn has promised to implement over the coming months. The 311 program aims to give 911 operators some relief from callers with non-emergency inquiries or complaints. And it’s clearly been launched at a time when those who tried and failed to break away from Los Angeles will be holding Hahn’s feet to the fire with regard to promises of improved city services. Initially, the $5 million “One Call to City Hall” program will allow city residents to call one number, 311, 24 hours a day, seven days a week to lodge a complaint or request service. A team of 40 city “ambassadors” will now answer calls directly and provide what the city calls a “warm transfer” to the department that pertains to the caller’s inquiry or complaint, said Hahn’s spokeswoman, Julie Wong. For now, they are likely to still get voice mail, but at least they will be leaving the message with the right department, said Wong. Ultimately, operators will not have to transfer the calls, but instead will be able to handle the complaints directly. “We hope this will provide the city’s residents with quick access to city services,” said Wong. “But we also hope it will help take some of the burden off of the 911 system operators who take calls now for everything from broken streetlights to injured animals.” Wong said 40 percent of the calls to 911 operators are non-emergency inquiries or complaints. The jury, of course, is still out on whether the program can truly address concerns about access to city departments. But most of the candidates who ran for Valley city council seats polled about the 311 program say it’s a start. “I think it’s a good idea, but let’s see if it works,” said Barry Seybert, a Tarzana resident who ran for the Eighth District council seat. The one aspect of the program that is likely to draw support is the fact that the 311 number is toll-free to anyone who lives in the city. And it can be used by anyone with a regular landline or a Cingular Wireless mobile phone. “It’s good that it’s not a toll call now to get help from the city,” said Seybert. “There was a number you could use to call Van Nuys City Hall that would transfer you to Los Angeles, but even from the west end of the Valley that was still a toll call.” There is another number for those using pay phones or non-Cingular Wireless mobiles, or who live outside the city. Other candidates for Valley city seats were not so optimistic about the program offering any real potential for change. “If it can be done efficiently then, yes, I think it’s a good idea,” said Leonard Shapiro who ran for a seat in the proposed 10th District. “But it would take a lot of work for that. What’s to say those operators aren’t going to get overloaded and frustrated?” “Frankly, I don’t like Jimmy Hahn and I don’t like his suggestions,” Shapiro said. “He’s got a lot of unhappy campers here in the Valley.”
