LR board considers 311 system upgrade

$654,000 purchase on next agenda

Little Rock is considering spending about $654,000 to upgrade its 311 system that allows citizens to notify the city of service needs or request certain information about city facilities and services.

The city launched its 311 Center in 2007. By calling 311, Little Rock residents can talk to an operator from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday to report nonemergency problems, request service or ask about services the city offers. Examples include inquiring about when the library opens, reporting a stray dog or notifying the city about trash pickup.

Residents can also submit online requests at www.littlerock.org/Citizen­Services/311-citizen-request.aspx or through the city's smartphone app called Little Rock AR - Official any time of the day.

By spending $654,081.75, the city can purchase an upgrade to the Motorola Solutions-operated system. The upgrade would improve storage, asset management and smartphone usage of the system, Information Technology Director Randy Foshee said. Motorola no longer provides support for the version of software the city is using now.

"The current city app requires city staff to re-enter the request into the 311 system," Foshee said. "The upgraded 311 system and 311 app will not require staff re-entry of the requests entered into the app. Those requests will go directly into the system."

The improvements would also prevent duplicate work when it comes to entering other data. When Public Works Department employees keep tally of staff members, equipment and materials, that data would directly be entered into the 311 system instead of having to be typed up twice.

This upgrade would also replace that information's current storage system, which was installed in 2000.

The Little Rock Board of Directors met Tuesday night to discuss its agenda for next week's board meeting when there will be a vote on the 311 upgrade.

Board members will also consider authorizing a $153,195.56 purchase next week that would extend the city's maintenance contract for its 911 dispatch system and a $759,263.10 contract with Landers Ford to purchase 30 police cars.

The software contract is with Northrop Grumman, which operates the 911 system, and it covers software maintenance and support for one year. The software is used to dispatch city police and fire personnel.

In addition to going over next week's agenda Tuesday, the board voted on items scheduled for last week's meeting that was canceled due to weather. The board unanimously approved allowing Little Rock Wastewater to refinance a series of bonds that will save the utility $12.1 million in debt payments over the combined 22-year life of the loans.

City directors also voted to appoint former board member Stacy Hurst to the vacant airport commission seat. The seat has been vacant since the beginning of the year when Kathy Webb left the commission after being elected to the city board to represent Ward 3. She replaced Hurst, who opted not to run for re-election and instead pursued a seat in the state House of Representatives.

Mayor Mark Stodola makes commission appointments, and the board has to affirm the nominations.

Hurst, a Republican, lost her Legislature bid to Little Rock Democrat Clarke Tucker. Gov. Asa Hutchinson has since appointed her as the director of the Department of Arkansas Heritage.

Hurst was one of 11 applicants to the city airport commission seat, including Stodola's former law firm colleague Meredith Catlett.

Other notable applicants included Jean Block, a sitting member of the city's sewer committee that oversees Little Rock Wastewater and chief legal counsel for the Arkansas Lottery; Scott Hamilton, regional director of external affairs for Midcontinent Independent System Operator; and Nancy Rousseau, principal at Little Rock Central High School.

Metro on 02/25/2015

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