Issue with a trail? Pothole on your street? Streetlight out?

For non-urgent requests for help from the city government in Bentonville, the best starting point is typically the 311 website.

For issues better addressed by phone, such as stray animals or noise complaints, the 311 website also lists the relevant phone numbers.

The creation of a central hub for resident complaints and concerns is one of the things Mayor Stephanie Orman ran on during her first campaign in 2018. The system launched in late 2019, and the city is closing in on 11,000 solved resident complaints filed since then.

When a 311 submission comes in, it enters a support-ticket system, where it is assigned to a department and potentially a specific staff member. Whoever submitted the concern should receive periodic automated updates as it is assigned, updated, or closed.

Submissions from 311 power several of the GIS department’s public-facing maps, such as the water-leak map. Behind the scenes, they also feed internal maps and applications used by multiple departments.

The same team that produces the city’s maps maintains the 311 system. GIS coordinator Jim Wheeless started with the city in the mid-1990s, when Bentonville’s population was about one-fourth its current size.

Back then, a typical complaint, he said, would be relayed over the phone, written down on a physical note, and sent to the corresponding department.

“You’d get a call back or they’d investigate, but there was no documentation or tracking,” Wheeless said.

These days, when residents choose to call the city, staff often enter a 311 ticket on their behalf so the request can move through the same tracking system.

In addition to better tracking and data collection, the 311 system allows residents to submit complaints outside regular work hours.

“It amazes me to no end the timing of these. People enter these at like 1 o’clock, three o’clock in the morning,” he said.

About 95 percent of all tickets are marked as resolved. Some take longer to complete, such as water leaks, and others are not fully resolvable if they fall outside the city’s control, which factors into the completion rate.