Southampton Town Has New App to Log Complaints

Within 24 hours of Southampton Town’s having launched a new online tool that allows residents to report nonemergency complaints and submit service requests, two requests had been logged.

“I think that’s pretty good,” Ross Baldwin said on Tuesday from Southampton Town Hall. He helped lead the charge in setting up the application, called Southampton Online Solutions, or S.O.S.

He said the program helped ensure that requests, like those first two — one for a tree stump removal in Bridgehampton and another for a street light outage in the Remsenburg-Speonk area — would be reviewed immediately by the right department, and allow the residents who made them to see the status of their requests.

Supervisor Jay Schneiderman said the application, which he considers a central portal for community concerns, complaints, and service requests, would ensure that no calls go unanswered. “We are using technology to improve constituent service, and that’s really at the core of it,” he said by phone yesterday. People are accustomed to using their smartphones for almost anything. “We’re an instant gratification society.”

A mobile-enabled website application that was developed in-house, S.O.S. can be used from any computer, tablet, or mobile device, and it has a user-friendly interface. The user is taken through a series of steps to report issues from illegal dumping to waterway navigation hazards, from illegal rentals to excessively barking dogs. Users can submit their names or make requests anonymously. Those who submit anonymously can track complaints by way of case number.

People can also see if someone else has already submitted a request for a specific problem, and staff can run reports to verify that requests are being resolved in a timely manner.

When visiting sos.southamptontownny.gov, users are asked if they are submitting a new request or checking on an old one. Next, a message will pop up saying that if it is a life-safety issue, 911 should be called. The user will then be asked to enter a request type. The drop-down menu is long and coded by department. Users can first select the department to narrow down the choices, or just browse the long list.

Next, a visitor to the site is asked to put in a location. This can be done manually or by clicking on a map. If geolocation is turned on on a device, it can be entered that way, too. Photographs can be uploaded and comments can be left explaining the situation in 150 characters or fewer.

If staff members receive a phone call, they can simply enter the information into the system. “I sometimes joke I’m the head of the complaint department,” Mr. Schneiderman said.

Mr. Baldwin, whose main duty is as the geographic information systems manager for the town (the site uses G.E.I.S. technology as a framework), said the idea has been batted around for quite some time, but got the green light when Mr. Schneiderman took office.

When building the website, Mr. Baldwin consulted with the city governments of New York and Chicago, which have similar online resources for citizens.

There are still some parts of the website that need to be adjusted, such as the zoom-in feature on the map. It also does not allow a user to report every kind of complaint. Potholes, for instance, fall under the purview of the Highway Department, which is not participating in the application, so in that case users are prompted to call that department directly. Alex Gregor, the town highway superintendent, said it is a liability issue.

Similarly, with requests that fall under the purview of the Southampton Town Police Department or a public utility in instances of power outages or street water issues, a phone number to call directly will be offered. Someone using the website from a smartphone can tap the number and place the call immediately.

“The true test will be the reviews the public gives it,” Mr. Schneiderman said.