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How Boston's problem-tracking system doesn't work
By adamg on Fri, 06/12/2009 - 9:15am
Kevin McCrea isn't just a candidate for mayor. He's also a resident. Which means that when a city worker did a half-assed job fixing some loose cobblestones outside his South End job, he got to track and detail how the city responded to the problem - including the dispatching of six workers and three trucks to fix the two-foot-by-two-foot problem. What set off the burst of activity: McCrea asked the city lawyer in charge of public-records requests for the official city tracking reports on the cobblestones, not for a fix to the problem.
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Comments
He should be mayor soon
I'm not sure that Mr. McCrea is quite ready to be mayor...but he's close. First boycotting the Southie St. Patrick's Day parade, now keeping a close eye on the tracking system. Good on ya, Mr. McCrea.
Forget the mayor's hotline
Next time I need something fixed (at least through the primary) I'm calling Kevin!
Obligatory time to fill in the blanks everyone:
How many city workers does it take to fix 12 cobblestones?
Your answer below:
Can the City Do Anything Right?
I ready Kevin's full post, and I am concerned he might be to the point where the city can *never* do anything right.
Granted, as it has been said in this comments section, all I do is kiss the Mayor's a** all the time (even though I haven't supported many of the Mayor's candidates since... oh since he ran four years ago), but this is my read of Kevin's post:
The city didn't do a good job repairing a sidewalk the first time, so he contacted ths city, and the city sent a group of people to fix it correctly. What's wrong with that?
Full disclosure: I am supporting the Mayor's re-election.
Ross
It's great the cobblestones got put back
But I think his point was:
The city has this system for tracking issues. The system said the cobblestones had been repaired when, in fact, they weren't, so if he didn't know to call the city attorney involved in public-records issues, the DPW would get to pat itself on the back for something it hadn't actually done right. What does that say about how well the city is tracking its effectiveness? And then it overreacted by sending out six workers to solve a problem involving four square feet of cobblestones.
Ok, that makes sense
I get that the city really didn't fix the problem the first time, but they thought they did.
So Kevin contacted the city and they fixed it the second time, right?
It is also fair that Kevin got more attention because he has a direct contact he's been told to deal with. The unanswered question here is, if after the city didn't repair the sidewalk well on attempt one, how would the city have responded if someone other than Kevin had simply phoned the Mayor's hotline to say the sidewalk still isn't fixed?
I am just wary of getting into a situation where the city can't do anything right!
Ross
Points..
I think a couple of his points are:
1. The city logged the problem as fixed, when it wasn't. There is no feedback loop or accountability. Any hardworking city worker could say he fixed something, when it really wasn't fixed. A person shouldn't have to call back and report it not fixed.
2. He definitely was treated better because he had a direct contact in the city and the only reason the city responded so quickly and forcefully was because they know he is running for mayor and don't want to give him ammunition. It's extremely unlikely that this problem would have been given as much attention if a "normal" citizen had called in to report it wasn't fixed the first time.
this is why the only time things get done in Boston is around
elections. Menino is asleep the rest of his term, unaccountable since the city council is afraid to call him out, waiting for him to appoint one of them mayor once he is done.
I have used the online city tracking program and found it is good at spitting out record numbers and thats about all. I made a report, in 2 weeks an inspector was assigned, but over a month later the inspector (according to their records) hadn't gone to the site nor had actions been taken.
Menino is both technophobic and totally impotent in regards to getting his employees to work.
Anyone but Menino.
The point
I've met Ross, a very nice guy who cares about the City. I think he misread my post a bit. I never called the City to ask them to repair the street. The City Attorney did that on her own I assume because she has no confidence in the City tracking system either.
I tell everyone in the City, if there is anything they want done in their neighborhood now is the time to do it. The Mayor has tons of money to spread around. As the previous poster noted, in election years the Mayor steps it up, puts off controversial things and goes into campaign and denial mode.
Thanks Kevin.
Hey Kevin--
Thanks for the kind words. I understand now.
Of course, now we're left to wonder what would have happened if someone had called the City hotline about the poor repair job, rather than you calling the City Attorney.
And I completely understand what the people reading this comments' section think the response would have been!
Ross