The Relationship Between DPS and the City The City School Coordinating Commission was created, by ordinance, in 1975 as a vehicle for collaboration between the City and County of Denver (the city) and the Denver Public School System (DPS). The commission's objective is to undertake, on a continuing basis, the study of all possibilities for cooperation between the city and the school district on matters such as traffic and school safety, development, maintenance and use of facilities authorized to each of them, and to make recommendations to carrying out joint venture opportunities as may be feasible.
The committee was comprised of the Mayor and members of his cabinet, residents of the city, members of City Council as well as DPS Superintendent and School Board members. At this time, this body is inactive.
As you are likely aware, the city is currently engaged in a land swap negotiation with DPS. The goal of this deal is to construct an elementary school on land in Council District 4 and renovate a Downtown DPS owned building for a domestic violence center. The specifics of this discussion are the sale of a portion of the Hentzell Park Natural Area by the city in exchange for this downtown building.
Several issues have arisen out of this situation including an awareness of the Denver parkland that is not "designated," or in other words, protected by ordinance (e.g. Hentzell Park), as well as transparency concerns pertaining to the relationship between the city and DPS.
A strong working relationship between these two bodies is critical to the success of our schools, our children and our neighborhoods. It is my belief that with a structure already designed for use to engage this partnership, by all means, we should employ it! With the lessons of Hentzell Park now coming to the fore, it is my hope that the City School Coordinating Commission will be reactivated.
What's the 411 on Denver's 311? The City and County of Denver established the 311 Customer Service Center in 2006 to address non-emergency issues. Since then, millions of phone calls have been processed, and the call center has progressed into a contact center where citizens can also engage 311 through the official Denver website, email, and even Facebook. This impressive expansion reflects a department that has grown and adapted, a department that must continue to improve itself to remain successful.
In its Audit Report on Denver 311 released in 2012, the Denver Auditor's Office found that "Eighty-eight percent of users reported overall satisfaction with their Denver 311 experience." However, the report also concluded that high user satisfaction ratings are at risk, partly because hold times are increasing and more users are abandoning their calls. The report also found that average call length and the average time to answer calls are increasing.
Read the report here To ensure that Denver 311 continues to improve its services, I would like to see hold times shortened and more customers transferred to the correct agency to address the issues they are calling about. Also, 311 must continue to hire and train employees to be the resourceful customer service agents we depend on them to be.
These are just my ideas- I would really like to hear yours! The next time you use Denver 311, please provide your feedback by using any of these methods:
Denver 311 online survey, email Denver 311 directly:
311@denvergov.org, or call or email my office at 720-337-7713,
ortegaatlarge@denvergov.org If you haven't used Denver 311, you can take advantage of this Denver resource by: Calling 311 (within Denver, just dial 3-1-1. Outside the city, dial 720-913-1311), reporting your issue at
www.denvergov.org/311, or by sending an email to 311@
denvergov.org However you choose to contact 311, please be sure to include as much information as possible to expedite a resolution to your issue.
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