On June 3, 2004, Anna Mariotti filed the following complaint on CivicRadar.com, a website designed to improve communication between citizens and Hartford officials.

"The sidewalks in this location are broken apart, literally," Mariotti wrote. "A big chunk sticks up, in some places there is dirt and no sidewalk and they are not at all level. They are dangerous, especially in the winter. There are two people in the area who use wheelchairs and they have to go into the street to get past this stretch of sidewalk. Can they be fixed? Or, if the city is not responsible, can the person who is be required to fix them?"

The case was assigned to Public Works, but it was closed without any action. Four complaints and an email a year later, DPW repaired the sidewalk. The story illustrates not only the growing pains the city has had with CivicRadar.com, but the potential the electronic trouble ticket tool has to help improve the city.

The Connecticut Policy and Economic Council developed the web platform in 2002 to offer free to any Connecticut local government, CPEC head Michael Meotti wrote in an email to the 40 Year Plan.

"Hartford is probably the most aggressive user of the service," he said. Other towns like Glastonbury, Farmington, Chester and Rocky Hill use it.

"It's all part of our efforts to enhance people's connection to government service providers, even for the nuts and bolts things that aren't Îhigh level' public policy but do affect people's lives," Meotti wrote. CPEC itself is still working out bugs in the program, but it seems to get things done, even if it takes a while.

City officials like mayoral aide Susan McMullen began directing people to CivicRadar.com as early as December 2003. According to Erik Pettersen at CPEC, Hartford residents have filed more than 1,000 complaints to CivicRadar since its inception, and its use keeps growing.

"It took a little while to get traction," Pettersen said. "There has been refinement in the process as to how a town handles complaints."

The second quarter of 2004 saw Hartford residents file 60 complaints on CivicRadar, Pettersen said. The second quarter in 2005 saw 216 complaints, almost four times as many as the year before.

Most of the complaints are that the grass is overgrown, or people are parking in this lot, or there is an abandoned vehicle, McMullen said. It also took time for city departments to buy into the concept.

"The response time for the departments has gotten a lot better," McMullen said. "It is a great service, and it is absolutely free to the city."

The rutted sidewalks at 340 Laurel, a property owned by landlord and delinquent taxpayer Tom Shelto, demonstrates this evolution.

Mariotti checked into CivicRadar.com June 10, a week after her initial complaint, to find the case closed without the sidewalk being fixed.

"There is a bit of a learning curve for both the citizens and the town for what closing of the request means," Pettersen said.

On June 28, Mariotti fired off another complaint. On July 1, 2004, Susan McMullen in the Mayor's office responded by sending it to Public Works.

Deborah Cormier from Public Works responded on Oct. 26, saying it is city accepted, meaning that the city repairs damage to this sidewalk.

Come Sept. 14, Mariotti returned to CivicRadar.com, under the heading "Sidewalks condition near 330 Laurel St": "Nothing has been done about this and I have not received any sort of response since July. Is anything going to be done? Thanks."

Deborah Cormier from Public Works responded that Jim Paggioli, Surveyor in the Public Works Department went to this location today - he found the sidewalk in that area is city accepted - this area is on the list to be replaced this season - any further questions can be directed to Jim at 522-4888 x 6593."

Case closed again, and nothing happened.

On January 16, another citizen complained about the awful sidewalks at 610 Farmington Ave.

Cormier responded on January 25: "Sidewalks within the city of Hartford are maintained, repaired and replaced by the owner of the property abutting the sidewalk. This requires the private property owner to pay for repairs to the sidewalk along the street, not the city. This particular address had a "sidewalk notice" sent to the property owner advising them to repair the sidewalk."

Cormier's two contradictory messages seem part of the growing pains of CivicRadar.com.

"There was no reason given for the discrepancy in the responses," Mariotti said.

Cormier said she needed to receive approval from Bhupen Patel, the head of Hartford's DPW, before she could talk to the 40-Year Plan.

Frustrated, about a month ago, Mariotti skipped CivicRadar.com and emailed Susan McMullen. This time, the DPW temporarily repair the sidewalk surface with blacktop.

"The cost of temporary repair is the minimum fee of $250," McMullen said, and Shelto will be billed at the end of the month. Shelto didn't return calls for comment.

"He is being given a notice to have a permanent repair to be done by a licensed sidewalk contractor and he has until October 9th to do that," McMullen said. "If he doesn't, we have the right to do it ourselves and lien his property for the back cost."

Unfortunately, McMullen said this is the first notice going to Shelto.

"I know that this was brought up to my attention in April, I sent it to DPW and it fell through the cracks," she said. "The notice wasn't sent out in April as it should've been."

Mariotti was happy when she saw the repair.

"I am sure all the people who can now use the sidewalk and not risk getting hit by a car are happy, too," Mariotti said. "I am glad Susan McMullen got it done."

8/24/05

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"I am sure all the people who can now use the sidewalk and not risk getting hit by a car are happy, too," Anna Mariotti said.

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"I am sure all the people who can now use the sidewalk and not risk getting hit by a car are happy, too," Anna Mariotti said.