North Hempstead, NY – North Hempstead Supervisor Judi Bosworth and the Town Board were proud to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the Town’s 311 Call Center today. To mark the milestone, Supervisor Bosworth and council members praised the Call Center’s staff for their hard work and attentiveness to Town residents before hosting a breakfast in the staff’s honor.

“North Hempstead’s 311 Call Center has revolutionized the way we connect with our constituents, and address their concerns and we’ve done it 1,398,127 times!” said Supervisor Bosworth. “Our 311 call operators provide one-stop-shopping at its best and provide our residents with efficient and effective service.”

U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer was instrumental in providing the seed money for the creation of the 311 Call Center in 2005 through a $500,000 federal grant. “The Town of North Hempstead’s 311 Call Center has become a national model in providing efficient and personal customer service to residents,” Senator Schumer said. “This service is invaluable in solving common-place problems and in functioning as a vital resource during emergencies such as Superstorm Sandy and Hurricane Irene.”

The Call Center was created to serve as the first point of contact in connecting constituents with Town services and resources. Originally modeled after a system that was in place in the city of Baltimore, it was implemented as a way of making “One Call to Town Hall” a reality for Town residents. Those calling the 311 Call Center are connected with staff members who are able to answer questions about potholes, upcoming Town events, tree removal and hundreds of other concerns, as well as connecting callers with different Town departments. Each year, the Town receives an average of 177,568 calls.

Over the course of 10 years some of the more common requests that have been fulfilled include 5,733 potholes filled, 4,622 trees planted and 11,038 trees trimmed. There are more than 360 different categories of 311 requests, but residents’ requests are not limited by these categories.

“311 has become an integral part of everyday life for constituents who live, do business, or pass through the Town of North Hempstead,” said Vincent Malizia, Director of the 311 Call Center. “We are pleased to be available to them to help address their needs.”

During Hurricane Sandy, the Town’s 311 Call Center served as a direct point of contact for many constituents. During that time frame alone, the Town answered 37,533 calls.

Many Town residents also make use of the services offered by the Town’s Project Independence and use the 311 Call system to request transportation and other services. To date, the Town has received 78,871 requests for its taxi services, which allow seniors to take advantage of transportation for medical appointments and for food shopping. Using this service, the Town has provided a total of 28,558 food shopping trips and 54,995 medical appointment trips.

In 2014, Supervisor Bosworth created 311 Online, a web based system that allows users to submit service requests online using the “My North Hempstead” app for Smartphones, or by visiting www.northhempsteadny.gov/311online from any web enabled device.

Supervisor Judi Bosworth and the Town Board celebrate 311’s ten year anniversary inside the Call Center at Town Hall.