Before he was elected to represent Wheeling’s Ward 2, Ben Seidler attempted to utilize the city’s 311 System to help clean up issues in the general vicinity of his Wheeling Island home.
It did not work well, though, and that is one of the reasons why he decided to run for Wheeling Council against two-term incumbent Ken Imer. Now that he’s become one of six ward council members, Seidler has somewhat adopted the program to streamline the system.
“It is still completely unreasonable to use on a mobile device,” he said. “The city employees that are the ones out in the field fixing the potholes, cutting the grass, cleaning up the trash, inspecting the properties, don’t sit behind a desktop computer all day, if at all. How can we expect them to manage their list of tasks when they can’t even get useful notifications by email, let alone use 311 from out in the field?
“We can’t,” he continued. “That’s the issue. In my opinion, there isn’t even a reasonable way for a manager to print out a list of work orders for the work crew in the morning.”
Progress, Yes, But …
As an information technology specialist for Ohio Coatings, Seidler is very familiar with the ways software and hardware are expected to operate, but he also is able to recognize when code changes are necessary. As far as the city’s 311 system is concerned, the Council member has diagnosed several issues.
“There has been some progress with it, but not enough,” he said. “My patience is running thin on waiting for the necessary changes from the 311 software developer. It’s 2020, and our website and 311 system feel just as unfriendly to me on a mobile phone as they would have back in 2010.
“There is really no good excuse for a website not to render properly on a mobile phone in this day and age,” Seidler insisted. “It’s time to either fish or cut bait, and if I don’t see some substantial progress in the next week or so, I am fully prepared to recommend that we move in a different direction.”
Many residents of the city of Wheeling struggle to retain their property values for a number of reasons, and dilapidation in close proximity to their respective parcels is atop that list. Seidler, who is now leading the effort to clear junked vehicles from yards and alleys, deals with blighted structures near his Wheeling Island home as well as issues with consistent property maintenance.
“That’s why I am here,” he said. “I’m sick of our neighborhood having a reputation of being defined by property conditions of the buildings that should have come down years ago. Wheeling Island is a beautiful place, and it could be much better if we can get a handle on them.
“We have seen this happening for too long,” Seidler said. “Who in their right mind would buy a beautiful house between two burned out, blighted, drug or cockroach infested houses? Everyone already knows the answer to that. First name: Slum. Last Name: Lords.
Received Complaints
Dumped trash and old furniture have been recorded in the 311 System, and so have collapsing houses, poor roadway conditions, and uncut grass and hedges. There is not one neighborhood where most of the problems are located either because neglect and decay have taken place throughout all six wards.
Seidler’s Ward 2 includes Wheeling Island, most of North Wheeling, and the Fulton and Glenwood neighborhoods. Since his first day in the elected position he has communicated with constituents on a consistent basis.
“I would say the primary categories would be reporting blighted properties, illegally junked or abandoned vehicles or those parked illegally, missed trash pickup, and pothole repair requests,” he explained. “But there are many different categories for people to choose from, and just about anything else you can think of has been reported.
“Now, If something needs immediate attention, the resident should call 911,” he said. “ If it’s not an emergency but still needs fast attention, they should call the city or their Council rep directly. As far as the 311 System, I hope residents continue to utilize it because the work actually is being completed fairly quickly.”
But that is where Seidler believes the system is in need of adjustments.
“Even though a 311 complaint is addressed and rectified, those employees are unable to close them out because they are out in the field and not sitting at a desk,” he explained. “When the city receives a complaint about property, it’s taken very seriously, but then there is usually a lengthy process involved.
“Our people inspect those issues, and then they supply the property owner with a notice, and they give them a reasonable amount of time to address it,” Seidler added. “If it is addressed, great, but if it is not, that’s when the municipal court system becomes involved.”
