Are city parks still open? Will the city still collect trash? Does the parking meter still have to be plugged?

Changes to the daily lives of Spokanites are evident in the calls and online requests to the city’s My Spokane 311 customer service center.

Overall, the city saw a 13% decline in 311 calls in March compared to February, and a 21% decline compared to March 2019.

But while complaints and requests for service have dipped, the city has seen a substantial increase – 31% – in the number of general questions received by its 311 agents, who have relocated from City Hall into their homes to respond to everything from pothole reports to public camping complaints.

The increase in questions “may be because people are home and have time to inquire about things that they didn’t before,” city spokeswoman Kirstin Davis said in an email.

On March 25, the 311 system began tracking the number of calls it received that are related to COVID-19. Since then, its agents have answered 421 such calls, accounting for about 20% of the total calls taken by 311.

In COVID-19-related questions, callers most often inquire about utility billing, but also about how parking will be enforced downtown, accessibility to city parks and the impact of the shutdown on trash collection. (Downtown parking limits are no longer enforced to protect residents and city employees; city parks are still open but play structures are closed and residents are advised to stick to open spaces close to home; curbside trash collection has not been impacted by the shutdown.)

Somewhat paradoxically, given the sharp consequences strict social distancing measures have taken on the national and local economy, the city has seen a 24% decline in calls to 311 by residents requesting a payment plan for the utility bills.

The city announced last month that, during the pandemic, it would not conduct utility shutoffs. That could play a role in the decrease in residents seeking a payment plan, although Davis said it was likely only one of several factors.

After launching an effort to offer emergency support to residents facing economic hardship amid the pandemic to pay their utility bills, the city expects 311 calls for payment arrangements to continue to decline.

Parking complaints have also dropped by 13% since January. One factor could be the city’s recent, temporary suspension of the rule that cars can only be parked in a single location for 72 hours at a time.

“Like utility billing, street calls are down considerably, which also makes sense,” Davis said.

City Hall shut down to the public last month, and the majority of its employees are working from home.

That includes the 11 agents who staff 311, which had, coincidentally, purchased backup laptops to use in case of an emergency.

“The city’s IT department was able to quickly program devices to allow phones to work off site,” Davis said.

The city has also heavily promoted virtual use of the 311 system, which can be accessed on a mobile app or at MySpokane311.org. Requests made online increased by 16% last month.