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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Hi Everyone, </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Here is some news for all. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'> </span></font></p>
<div>
<p><font size=2 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
color:navy'>Yasmin Reyazuddin <br>
</span></font><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Aging & Disability Services</span></font><font
size=2 color=navy><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:navy'><br>
Department of Health & human services <br>
401 Hungerford Drive (3rd floor) <br>
Rockville MD 20850 <br>
<br>
240-777-1556 (personal line) </span></font></p>
<p><font size=2 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
color:navy'>Office hours 8:30 am to 5:00 pm </span></font></p>
<p><font size=2 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
color:navy'>Languages English, Hindi, Urdu Braille</span></font></p>
<p><font size=2 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
color:navy'>This message may contain protected health information or other
information that is confidential or privileged. If you are not the intended
recipient, please contact the sender by return mail and destroy any copies of
this material. </span></font></p>
<p><font size=2 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
color:navy'>Thank you.</span></font></p>
<p><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
Arial;color:navy'> </span></font></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma'>-----Original Message-----<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>From:</span></b> MCG Postmaster <br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Thursday, June 17, 2010
12:59 PM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> #MCG.ALL<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> Message from Chief
Administrative Officer - MC311 <br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Importance:</span></b> High</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>As most of you know, almost two years ago,
the wheels were put into motion to make Montgomery County’s MC311
initiative a reality. </span></font>Today,<font color=navy><span
style='color:navy'> </span></font><font color=black><span style='color:black'>June
17</span></font>, 2010,<font color=black><span style='color:black'> this new
online and phone information system will launch to the public.
</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>MC311 will transform customer service for
Montgomery County government by providing a simple number (3-1-1) that the
public can dial while within the county limits to receive non-emergency
information and services. Or customers can dial 240-777-0311, which is
good also when calling from outside the County or if your wireless company is
one of the few not yet connecting to the MC311 system. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>A new 311 website -- <a
href="http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/311">http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/311</a>
-- also debuts today, giving residents the option of finding information
online, entering their own service requests, and even tracking the progress of
those requests. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>The TTY number is 240-773-3556.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>The MC311 Customer Service Center will
operate Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The website, of
course, is available 24/7.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>Montgomery County follows in the footsteps
of New York City, Baltimore, San Francisco, Washington DC, and other large
jurisdictions that have already successfully implemented 311. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>Customer Service Representatives (CSRs)
will handle requests for County services, answer general information questions,
and listen to complaints of all kinds. For calls that require
departmental action, CSRs will create a service request that will be sent to appropriate
staff, as determined by each department.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>About 30 County “information and
referral” telephone numbers have been transferred to 311. All other
County phone numbers remain as before and can be contacted directly.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>The MC311 initiative “soft-launched”
in January 2010. This allowed staff to identify and adjust to a new way
of responding to the public’s calls and get them comfortable with the new
technology they are now using. We had a chance to really test the system.
First, there were the record-breaking, back-to-back blizzards with power
outages in early February, followed by the issuance of tax delinquency notices
in mid-February. Both of these incidents generated tens of thousands of
calls that gave our call takers an opportunity to handle a very large volume of
calls in a short period of time. Had the blizzards hit a year earlier,
only six agents would have been available to answer over 30,000 calls over a
nine-day period. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>By getting our “worst case”
scenario right up front, we have been able to learn some valuable lessons and
implement changes that’ll make for an even better system.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>One of the County Executive’s eight
overarching objectives is to create “greater responsiveness and
accountability” in meeting the needs of a very diverse county.
</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>A single, one-stop phone number for
information, complaints and requests and a user-friendly website will provide
our customers with a County government that listens more and performs more
efficiently and effectively. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>It will enable county managers and elected
officials to systematically track data that will inform decisions about changes
in service delivery and investment of County resources. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>It will save money – no small thing
in these tough fiscal times. In fact, there are already more than $10 million
in projected savings between the current year and next year. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>It will ease some of the burden on our 911
emergency system by providing an easier access for non-emergency calls. That
can help 911 focus on emergencies – and better protect our homes and our
families.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>MC311 will ultimately make all of our jobs
easier. With a centralized call center and a website that puts all the
resources at our residents’ fingertips, I believe we will all be able to
perform our jobs more effectively. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>As part of our broader campaign to promote
awareness of the MC311 service, I would ask that if any County government
employee has an opportunity to speak to community, civic or citizens’
groups, or to be out in the public at events, to take the opportunity to talk
about the new 311 system and distribute information. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>Effective July 1, MC311 will be part of
our Public Information Office</span></font><font color=navy><span
style='color:navy'> </span></font>(PIO).<font color=black><span
style='color:black'> They have various informational items available, including
palm cards, FAQ sheets, magnets, stickers and posters. You can contact PIO
at </span></font><a href="mailto:publicinformation@montgomerycountymd.gov"><font
color=black><span style='color:windowtext'>karen.falcon@montgomerycountymd.gov</span></font></a></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>I attach to this message our video <a
href="http://www3.montgomerycountymd.gov/311/ViewAnnouncement.aspx?id=6">Public
Service Announcement for MC311</a>, plus the general information <a
href="http://montgomerycountymd.gov/content/PIO/pdfs/311_palmcard_eng.pdf">palmcard</a>
and “<a
href="http://montgomerycountymd.gov/content/PIO/pdfs/311_faq_eng.pdf">Frequently
Asked Questions</a>” – both of which are available in other
languages. Feel free to download and distribute. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>Thanks for your assistance in making MC311
work for the residents of Montgomery County.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>Tim Firestine</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>Chief Administrative Officer </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
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