Impressions/Interaction with 630-CITY?

[m74reeves]

Folks, wondering how many of you have used the 630-CITY interface to report problems and/or request public records? Is phone call better than internet submission? Do you ever hear back (or should you expect to)?

Just wondering. I've submitted a few requests and have found it entertaining. It's hard to report something in a park, for instance as system wants very specific street address.

Thoughts? City staff I spoke to about it seem to think it's the bees knees.

[Charles Hunter]

Every time I put a "case" in, I request email confirmation when the job is done.  Have never received an email.

Another favorite trick is to refer it to another agency (JEA, for example), and "close" the case without telling me.  If I knew they had shipped it to (for example) JEA, I could have followed up with them.

In my experience, "closing" a case means referring it to (what may be) the proper agency ... NOT having the complaint resolved.  I call it the CITY I DON'T CARE system.

Perhaps if I complained that a historic house had some litter on the porch, they could go out and demolish the house ...

[sheclown]

630-CITY was used as a political weapon in Springfield which woke the sleeping bear (which is code enforcement) which is now devouring it --

so I wouldn't call if my life depended on it.

[jaxdan3]

I used the website on Wednesday to report that our yard waste wasn't collected. The waste was picked up the next day and I received an email confirmation closing the case. 

[Bill Hoff]

Folks, wondering how many of you have used the 630-CITY interface to report problems and/or request public records? Is phone call better than internet submission? Do you ever hear back (or should you expect to)?

Just wondering. I've submitted a few requests and have found it entertaining. It's hard to report something in a park, for instance as system wants very specific street address.

Thoughts? City staff I spoke to about it seem to think it's the bees knees.

I typically have a good experience. The website doesn't have options for all the various issues someone may call about, so sometimes a phone call is required. On the phone, it really just depends who you get. Some of them know what they're doing more than others.

[Debbie Thompson]

I'm with sheclown.  Houses have actually been demolished when neighbors went on 'care request' complaining binges about houses they didn't like.  It has been used as a weapon.

That said, when I HAVE put in requests for things like missed trash collections, it's not atypical for the request to be closed without action.  At times, I have had to open multiple requests and call multiple times on each before the trash was collected.

I would imagine staff does like it, since they don't have to answer the phone and listen to your complaint.  :-)  You either get an operator or do it on line.  And then they can close it and ignore you, hoping you find it too much trouble to call again, and go away.

[mtraininjax]

Call your city council person, unless you need the city to pickup tires, which is a good use of 630-CITY.

[fsujax]

I have used it several times for broken parking meters downtown, works every time. no ticket. sometimes the wait can be a little to long for someone to pick up the phone.

[Noone]

I've had positive experiences calling 630-CITY.
What is a citizen to do when ignored by his or her elected legislative representative?