Denver Auditor Timothy O’Brien. Credit: Denver Post

A recent audit by Denver Auditor Timothy M. O’Brien highlights a disjointed relationship between Denver 311 and partner city agencies, leaving Denverites in the lurch when it comes to city services. Denver 311 serves as a lifeline, connecting residents with the appropriate city services, yet the audit reveals serious shortcomings that remain unresolved since a similar 2012 review. An ineffective system, it appears, is plaguing the service, which should function as a smooth operator for resolving civic issues.

Inefficient operations and a lack of coordination have persisted, despite recommendations from the previous 2012 audit.

According to the audit obtained by the Denver Auditor’s Office, there is no formal oversight mechanism in place to ensure proper management and resolution of 311 cases.

“When residents contact Denver 311 with a question or complaint, they expect timely service. It’s unfortunate the city still has a few problems with efficiency and accountability for 311 request resolutions after we identified this issue 13 years ago,” O’Brien lamented, as per the Denver Auditor’s Office.

One of the main findings in the audit is the informal approach that hampers case resolution, resulting in Denver residents often receiving insufficient guidance or irrelevant information.

As a chilling echo of past inefficiencies, approximately 39% of messages related to Solid Waste’s compost bin cases, in fact, did not pertain to the topic at hand.

“Every contact with a resident is an opportunity to demonstrate accountability and build trust. The number of people who are frustrated or dissatisfied with receiving inadequate or even unrelated information should not be downplayed,” O’Brien pointed out, as obtained by the Denver Auditor’s Office.

Adding to the communication breakdown, Denver 311 lacks the clout required to enforce accountability across city agencies. Encumbered by these deficiencies, the Mayor’s Office has been directed to address the numerous gaps. Though the Mayor’s Office agreed with the audit’s six recommendations, they seem to waffle, not offering clarity on the pursuit of more formalized collaboration and stronger oversight mechanisms that are critically needed to provide Denver citizens with positive experiences. With an opportunity missed to cement faith in the city’s systems, it brings into question the commitment to action that would remediate the trust deficit between residents and their city services.