City Announces “Complaints By Text Message” Initiative

Jul 9, 2013

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

 July 9, 2013

 Contact: Gregg Guetschow, City Manager (517-543-8852)

Charlotte city officials have identified a new resource in their efforts to improve neighborhood quality: citizens with cell phones. A new initiative, “Complaints by Text Message,” aims to more quickly identify code violations and maintenance issues by asking citizens to report them using text messages.

“Many residents own cell phones with camera and text capabilities,” said City Manager Gregg Guetschow. “We want to offer them another way to communicate with us when they see problems in their neighborhoods.”

When residents observe a situation requiring City attention, they are encouraged to send a photo and a message with the location and a brief description of the complaint. The address for these messages is complaints@charlottemi.org and can be used to send either a text message or an email.

“Tall grass and weeds, junk and trash, and unlicensed vehicles are common problems that people can report,” Guetschow said. “Residents may also report issues such as potholes, street light outages and traffic hazards.”

Depending on their cell phone plan, users may incur charges when texting complaints.

Guetschow expressed appreciation for the reports that the City receives from citizens. “We think the ability to text us will make filing complaints even easier.”