Excerpts from
> The Model City
>
formatting link
> The piece de resistance, however, is 311. Dial that number from almost
> any phone in the city, and you reach Somerville's help line. Street
> unplowed? Cat up a tree? Want to know your alderman's name? Simple
> questions are answered. Complex ones get a case number, and residents
> can track their concerns on the Web as easily as a FedEx package.
> It's a remarkable idea: A local government that actually treats its
> citizens like customers and holds itself accountable to them. Few
> places in Massachusetts have 311, and no other has put in place
> Somerville's mix of budgeting and management tools.
I live in Columbus OH which has had 311 service as described here, for quite a while, but only from an AT&T phone. If your service is from elsewhere, 311 doesn't work. Nor from wireless phones.
Art Kamlet ArtKamlet @ AOL.com Columbus OH K2PZH