`311' telephone system considered for city use; Non-emergency calls would be taken 24-7.

Byline: Nick Kotsopoulos

WORCESTER - In an emergency, people know to call 911.

When people need to find a telephone number, they can call directory assistance at 411.

And, in the not-too-distant future, another three-digit number - 311 - may become just as ingrained with local residents when they want to contact City Hall regarding non-emergency complaints or issues.

The city is looking into a system that consolidates all municipal department telephone numbers into the easy-to-remember three-digit number. When citizens call 311 for non-emergency complaints, such as getting a pothole fixed or to report illegal dumping, an operator would direct their request to the appropriate city department.

The call would be recorded by a computer system and the caller would receive a work order number, much like ordering a package online, and could track the progress of the request through the system.

The City Council Municipal Operations Committee Tuesday night asked City Manager Michael V. O'Brien to develop a timeline and projected cost for the implementation of a 311 system.

Councilor-at-Large Frederick C. Rushton, committee chairman, said a 311 system is a great way to make local government more efficient and accountable, as well as more customer-friendly.

"People can connect to City Hall in a much easier way with a 311 system," Mr. Rushton said. "It also provides a greater level of accountability because residents are able to track the progress of their request or complaint through the system."

The city currently operates a customer service line, [phone], out of the Department of Public Works and Parks. Mr. Rushton said that number is staffed about 10 hours a day. In comparison, with a 311 system, he said, residents would have live access to City Hall 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The 311 program started in Baltimore and has been launched in several other large cities across the nation, including New York. In December 2005, Somerville became the first New England community to use a 311 system.

During last fall's mayoral and City Council campaign, Mr. Rushton strongly advocated launching a 311 system in Worcester, saying it is a proven and popular tool that has made local governments more accountable, courteous and easier to deal with.

In Somerville, more than 30,000 calls were made to the 311 line during its first year of operation. The number of calls increased to 80,000 in the second year, and about 100,000 calls are expected this year, according to Mr. Rushton.

Two months ago, the Municipal Operations Committee and Mr. O'Brien visited Somerville to view the operation of the city's Constituent Services/311 Office. After that, the committee visited the call center at the Worcester DPW.

"It opened our eyes to what we have in this city, and we also saw the future and potential of 311 as a way to do more with less," Mr. Rushton said.

Mr. O'Brien said the customer service line has been a most effective tool. He said it provides a strong platform for the city to transition to a 311 system.

"We have a sense of pride with the system we now have," Mr. O'Brien said. "The platform is there and we can expand it as resources allow. The next step would be to transition it to a 311 system, but we have to first look at the cost of such a transition and develop a timeline for its implementation."

Mr. Rushton said data collected from 311 calls can also be a valuable tool for the City Council at budget time when it has to make decisions on programs and services. Instead of relying on reports from the city administration, councilors would be able to use data from 311 calls to see which programs and services are being used and which ones might need more resources.

"The data we receive from the 311 calls can help us make more informed decisions when it comes to establishing priorities at budget time," Mr. Rushton said. "It will also help us better manage our resources and could, in fact, even end up saving this city money."

NAME: WORCESTER CITY COUNCIL