Results tagged “311”

How many times have you placed something you don't need anymore on the sidewalk hoping it will disappear someday soon? A fridge? A bed? A mattress? A desk? If you didn't call 3-1-1 to request a free bukly item pickup, that's illegal dumping, which can be punishable with high fines or some jail time. The Department of Public Works reported today that in the fourth quarter of the last fiscal year (that is, April - June of this year), 15 arrests were made, 172 administrative hearings conducted and 1,503 administrative citations were issued to Multi-Family Bulky Item illegal dumping violators. Most of the arrests were made in South LA, where the LA Times continued to investigate a massive illegal dumping problem. The department also has two online forms, one for reporting the location of illegal dumping and another to tip off investigators if you might know a suspect (there could be a $1000 reward). You can also call 3-1-1 to report illegal dumping.

An e-mail, probably from an anonymous staffer within the city's Information Technology Agency, says the city's most successful outreach tool to the public is set to be cut from the budget outright. If you don't use it, 3-1-1 is available 24 hours a day with live city operators ready to take various requests like graffiti and bulky item pickups and help you access any person within the city. It's goal is to centralize access to the city and could in fact save the city money when the three phased project is finished, if ever.

Tomorrow is Cesar Chavez Day, eponymously named for the Mexican American farm worker turned labor and civil rights leader. It's an official state holiday in California and in seven other states meaning closures of government buildings and services. Today, Los Angeles city offices and libraries are closed and tomorrow, state offices, the DMV and superior courts, state universities and community colleges will close. Mail delivery, public schools, county and federal offices will all remain in operation both days as well as public transportation, banks and trash services. Unfortunately, not many people know about the holiday. Because LA City Hall is closed today, everyone is calling the 3-1-1 Call Center, which this morning was an easy 10-minute wait to reach an operator. "Everyone is calling us because it's a holiday," explained a rushed operator who had 58 calls on hold.

Seven months after the LA Times did a report on South LA's illegal dumping problem, they've found not much has changed. The city says service is getting faster, but the problem persists.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa yesterday told the Daily News editorial board that a large unseen number of layoffs are coming to city employees. "We can't continue to operate the way we have in the past," he said.

Apparently, 23-seconds can be a long time for some. That's how long it takes to listen to Mayor Villaraigosa's "Welcome to 3-1-1" speech when you call the city's 24-hour operator hotline which is available for connection to any city service except emergency 911 calls.

Photo by kpe II via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr

Dear LAist, Lordy, lord, lord. Today I called 311 about a issue: a noise complaint about a neighbor's dog that had been barking for 2 straight hours. The 311 lady asked me my zip code than transferred me to the LAPD. The annoyed LAPD operator explained to me that the police didn't handle barking dog noise complaints. I explained that this was where the 311 operator had transferred me. The LAPD operator then transferred...

Via Steve Hymon's Monday LA Times column on all things local government, apartment dwellers are finally able to participate in the city recycling program:What can apartment dwellers in Los Angeles do this week that they couldn't do a couple of weeks ago? Recycle. For reasons difficult to explain, apartment and condo dwellers in Los Angeles have for decades had their trash picked up by private haulers instead of city crews. That, too, has meant...

In every budget, there is give and take, there are sacrifices and there are unintended consequences. When you add 100 more police officers or 20 new traffic control officers at bad intersections, something has to go. In the case of this year's city budget proposal from the mayor, the tree trimming cycle goes to 10 years (it really should be 3-5 and is currently at 8) and 3-1-1's graveyard shift go R.I.P. But more...