by Sheila Knight-Fields
Have you ever wondered how best to reach out to the city to ask a question or report an issue?
There are two ways to get help:
- Call 311
- Go to denvergov.org/pocketgov
Why should you contact 311 or go to pocketgov?
“The squeaky wheel gets the grease” is true. In the city, activities in agencies are often driven by volume. The more issues are reported, the more likely they are to get attention. In addition, if you don’t report an issue, how will city agencies know there is a problem? Because of this, it is imperative that you report the problems you encounter in our neighborhood; this is how we will drive change and improve our community!
Watch these videos for general info: About Denver’s 311 – Bing video and PocketGov Denver : Denver8TV : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
What is 311?
Similar to 911, 311 is used to reach the city through 3-digit dialing. To work correctly, you generally need to be in cell tower range within city boundaries. When in range, dial 3-1-1 and you will automatically be connected with the contact center. You can also contact Denver 311 from anywhere through a 10-digit dial as well (720 913 1311).
311 agents can provide assistance for many things: answer your question, direct you to online city resources, file a ticket (report on your behalf), or transfer you to the appropriate department to best serve your needs.
As of this writing, 311 is operating Monday – Friday 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Hold times are often long due to limited staff and reduced hours of operation, but you may request a call back instead of waiting on hold. (You can also contact 311 agents via the city website through the chat button on the bottom right-hand side of your screen.)
Don’t want to call? Go to pocketgov!
Pocketgov is a mobile and computer friendly “responsive website” (https://www.denvergov.org/pocketgov) that allows you to communicate with the city via a mobile device or computer. You can simply sign up online and provide basic information such as your email and street addresses. From there, you gain access to information that ranges from property values to how to get a business license to schedules for trash collection, recycling and street-sweeping. You can even sign up to have reminders of things like trash-collection dates sent to you or register your library card.
How to navigate Pocketgov
- You can register but you don’t have to. If you do, you can track the status and get notified of the resolution of your tickets.
- While described as a responsive website, the experience on your phone is different from the one on the website (which is frankly easier).
- Once registered, to report an issue, go to “report a problem”
- Click through the acknowledgement that you are not reporting an emergency
- Select the category that best relates to your issue
- Fill out the description box with as much detail as possible. If you have it, you can attach a picture of the issue. This can help the city to hone in on what exactly you’re talking about (like a picture of a pothole or specific site where there’s graffiti).
- Next, you’ll be asked to enter the location. You can either enter an intersection or a specific address. You will have to validate this by clicking on the search button.
- Finally, the app will ask for your preferred method of communication and you will then be able to submit your ticket.
- What happens next? Your ticket will be reported to the appropriate city agency for attention. How those agencies respond varies, but you should get at least notification that the issue has been completed or a notice of what can/cannot be done when the ticket is closed.