Idea #221 – Implement 311 System for Non-Emergency Requests

Report Status: Fully Reviewed

Researched by: Matthew Gasbarro

Original Idea as Submitted

Implement 311 system for non-emergency requests. Have a website to create ticket with file attachments for these requests and be able to check on status. Examples are trees down, potholes. See Cambridge/Boston for similar implementations

Other ideas included in this report

  • None

Idea intent

Currently, Belmont residents use the non-emergency Belmont Police phone number or contact Town departments directly to report a variety of issues or requests. An additional option is to implement a technology solution where residents can submit their requests using a website or a mobile app. The requests can be tracked as tickets in which the Town respondent can update its progress and the requestor would receive notifications of its status. The digital history of the tickets provides an opportunity to data mine all the requests for analysis on response time, resource allocation, and other metrics.

Weighted Final Score: 34 (Financial Impact: 0, Operational Impact: 4, Time Scale: 3, Ease of Implementation: 3)

Background Information

Many municipalities offer a digital 311 application where residents can submit service requests through a mobile app, the municipality’s website, or a call center. These include reporting potholes, tree maintenance or other non-emergency inquiries. There are several vendors that offer a 311 system either embedded in a Town website or a standalone service. The choice of vendor is dependent on a compatible work order system so that the reported tickets can route to the appropriate Town department. Previously Belmont had used WebQA (now GovQA) for 311 requests but it did not integrate with Town systems. If there is no integration with the Town’s work order system, then requests reported to the 311 system would require manual entry into the Town work order system. Updates to the ticket would then require the respondent to update both the Town work order system and the 311 application.

Per SCIG Idea #46: Work Order Systems to Guide Efficiencies, Belmont departments use several different work order solutions. Many vendors of a 311 system also offer additional software solutions that include request and workflow management. The Town should consider a 311 system as part of a broader software solution for the Town because interoperability among other software deployments is crucial for a cohesive system. Therefore, selecting a vendor would require input from several Town departments.

The Belmont Website Renewal Committee is also considering a 311 application as a feature in their research into a new Town website. CivicPlus, the current Belmont town website vendor, offers the 311 application SeeClickFix. A bundled package could provide cost, implementation, and support savings.

Criteria for a 311 vendor include:

  • Must integrate with existing work order systems and other relevant Town software, or the vendor should offer an integrated 311 request and workflow management solution that can be adopted throughout the Town and serve the needs of the departments if an existing solution is to be replaced.

  • Must have sufficient software support in case of an outage or support issue.

  • Must be an actively maintained application receiving upgrades on an acceptable cadence. If a product were to lose vendor support, costs to switch systems in the future could be burdensome both in dollars and people hours.

  • Resident facing user interfaces (mobile app, website forms) should have Town of Belmont branding so that it is recognized by residents as an official Town of Belmont application.

Recommendations

  • A 311 system should be pursued that gives residents the ability to report issues through the Town website and a mobile app.

  • Consider the vendor of the 311 system in the broader context of software solutions deployed in the Town such that the departments requiring access to reported tickets can keep an organized workflow. (See also Idea #46 Work Order System to Guide Efficiency.)

Next Steps

  • Await the report from the Website Renewal Committee and follow its suggested recommendation and next steps regarding 311 integrations. After which, the Town should begin the required procurement process.

Further Reading