Rye officials say they’ve found an easier way for residents to report non-emergency issues — from potholes and vehicle mishaps to sewer problems and electrical outages — by adding the 311 system to its smartphone app and website.
The 311 software was recently “soft launched” and is now fully functional on the City of Rye app and the website. The app is available for download on Apple or Android devices and already has about 1,900 subscribers, Nicole Levitsky, the city’s director of communications, told The Record.
The 311 portal is a system that will intake and notify the city when a resident reports issues, assign it a case number, and allow the resident to track its progress.
The city is currently “using this time to test out our workflow” on the app’s 311 portal, Levitsky said.
Apart from the app, the 311 function is also available at www.ryeny.gov/311, or by clicking on “Services” and then “Public Reporting – 311” on the city of Rye’s website.
Rye City Manager Greg Ursy told The Record the impetus for installing 311 was to create a more efficient way to report and track citywide issues without having to log problems in-person or navigate the website.
Ursy said while “visitors are always welcome,” there aren’t a lot of reasons for people to come into City Hall anymore. Because of this, he said, the city wanted to launch 311.
“Visitors to City Hall have declined since COVID due to our comprehensive online services and access to information,” Usry said. “We determined there was a real need for better resident communications.”
The city first launched the new feature on the app internally for staff at the end of 2023, which has been “incredibly efficient,” Levitksky said.
The 311 system became public at the end of August on the app and website after two or three years of discussions, she said.
The City of Rye app launched in March 2023.
After submitting a ticket through 311 on the app or website, a city staff member will receive a notification of a report. The city will then assign the issue a case number and priority level before sending it through the proper department for review and resolution. The person who submitted the issue will receive email notifications so they can track the city’s progress in addressing it and reference the claim in the future.
This story was updated at 3:38 p.m. on Sept. 25 to clarify that the 311 function is new to the City of Rye app and the city’s website.