LOS ANGELES — Yesterday, L.A. City Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez introduced a motion directing City departments to report back with an accounting of all 311 service requests related to unprecedented storms that hit Los Angeles in recent weeks and left widespread damage across neighborhoods. Noting long-standing issues with the system that have confused and frustrated Angelenos who request City services, Hernandez called for transparency from departments on how they are addressing outstanding storm-related tickets and process improvements to mitigate future issues.
“When Angelenos make a 311 request, they should be confident that the City will address the issue while providing accurate and timely updates to the community,” said Councilmember Hernandez. “But right now, residents are often given confusing and incomplete information, with tickets frequently showing as closed or canceled despite the problem not being resolved. The City relies on residents to request municipal services and report issues that they come across. This motion ensures that residents have peace of mind that their concerns are being addressed efficiently and equitably across all neighborhoods.”
Operated by the Information Technology Agency, L.A.’s 311 system allows residents to request government services such as pothole repair, graffiti removal, illegal dumping pickup and more. When a series of atmospheric river storm systems wrought widespread damage across Los Angeles, many residents turned to 311 to report urgent issues such as mudslides, fallen trees and road obstructions. However, 311 fails to give customers accurate estimates for completing certain requests and duplicative tickets for the same issue are often closed without explanation to the requesters, leaving residents in the dark as to whether their request has been referred to the appropriate department.
The motion, which was introduced at Tuesday’s City Council meeting, would direct the City’s Bureau of Street Services and Information Technology Agency to report back to City Council within seven days with a full accounting of all storm-related 311 service requests, including details on next steps for resolving outstanding issues. The motion additionally requests a second report from the Bureau of Engineering on its current process for addressing landslide and mudslide service requests to ensure that the integrity of hillside slopes is thoroughly assessed once the initial obstruction has been cleared.