This is my first ever post here, but long time viewer.

I was wondering if anyone here uses action center to report issues to the city? I downloaded the app and it shows the last reports being from 6 years ago. I was wondering if that’s correct or just a glitch?

I tried to report the air pumps not working at the city bike stations set up around downtown. They inspected it and said it was working.. I lugged my bike to two of them and neither worked.

I also had a negative experience when I called and tried to report a homeless individual digging through my gated apartments dumpster and requested assistance from the homeless outreach team. They told me to call the cops because HOT is only to break up homeless camps.

What is everyone else’s experience with reporting to action center?

I normally email them, my reports are mostly bulbs out on traffic signals, or signs damaged and have no issues. I receive an email when they log it, and then when it's corrected. Granted, those are pretty easy requests and I've never had an issue. I've found it helps to be specific, add a pic if you can, and just re-report your issue again if not corrected.

I normally email them, my reports are mostly bulbs out on traffic signals, or signs damaged and have no issues. I receive an email when they log it, and then when it's corrected. Granted, those are pretty easy requests and I've never had an issue. I've found it helps to be specific, add a pic if you can, and just re-report your issue again if not corrected.

Apparently, you've had much better luck getting a response than I have. I've reported lots and lots of streetlights (not traffic lights) which haven't worked in two years. In my drive to work early this morning - those two year reported lights remain dark.

They are good about some things, like reporting abandoned vehicles, high weeds, and graffiti.

They are also very responsive to potholes. I've used this system for years, I live in what many would call a remote part of the city, and even still they come out within a couple of days. From my understanding, these messages get sent to their respective departments and then the departments handle the ticket. My guess is some departments, like street maintenance, tend to do some of the better jobs with this.

I've used the Action Center online and I will say that the city does a pretty good job at correcting issues. The one issue that I have is the over-the-top Rick Warren Court Clerk sign on I-35. I believe it is a subliminal election sign but the city says it is legal.

I report road issues all the time with the app and they are pretty responsive.

I've used the Action Center online and I will say that the city does a pretty good job at correcting issues. The one issue that I have is the over-the-top Rick Warren Court Clerk sign on I-35. I believe it is a subliminal election sign but the city says it is legal.

Seriously though. The oversized election sign left forever is very tacky. That around is looking pretty rough as it is. Lots of old run down older hotels

The App works sometimes. (I had a long term issue where uninstalling / reinstalling did not fix it. I had to install > clear cache > clear storage > uninstall > reinstall to get it to work).

They have been really responsive to reports Ive sent. Potholes filled within 2 days usually and the streetlight I reported took maybe 3 days.

I think potholes are quickly fixed because when they have notice, the clock starts ticking. If they don't get it repaired within some timeframe, I think the person that reported it, if they then get injured / damaged, can file a claim against the city.

I have found them to be pretty responsive, but in the last year I feel the response time and quality has gone down a bit. Reporting anything related to the homeless seems to be the hardest to get a response for, I imagine because it is dealing with human beings and is a bit trickier. I feel as though when I report things related to this problem, the report gets passed around more (because I see the evidence in the responses they send me--forwarding, etc.) and I feel like it gets dropped. I have hopes that the city's new program to handle that particular problem will result in better responses in the years to come as that program ramps up. Also, sometimes I feel as though the buck gets passed around a lot when you are dealing with reporting problems where state and city property lines are unclear. For instance, I seem to get a lot of "well, that's state property" from the city and "well that's city property" from the state when I make requests in and around the Belle Isle Bridge complex. NW Expwy is state highway, so at times when I have reported potholes under the overpass at Belle Isle Blvd., the city will pass me off to the State (whom I have to email) but sometimes the State has come back and said contact the City! So it can be frustrating at times. I usually start with a request to the city via the Action Center website and then see where they direct me. Speaking of, I need to contact them about this same area. Has anyone else noticed the huge uptick in homeless activity under the Belle Isle bridge this year?! It is getting pretty bad and quite ugly under there--lots more graffiti and lots more junk and trash, shopping carts, etc. I really am trying to stay on the city about that area so it doesn't get out of control.

...NW Expwy is state highway...

Only as far east as SH 74. Beyond that it's a city street. It used to be SH-3A until around 2009 until it was decommissioned and handed back to the city.

I used it in the past when I lived on 16th Street and reported stuff on the daily. Mostly, it seemed they contacted the problem properties and something got done.

It has been a few years since I last used the Action Center, but I got very good responses when reporting street light outages. It may be that someone else reported them before I did, but maybe there is strength in numbers? I decided I didn't want to be the person complaining if I don't at least try to fix the problem.

Only as far east as SH 74. Beyond that it's a city street. It used to be SH-3A until around 2009 until it was decommissioned and handed back to the city.

Good to know, thanks!

I wonder if it would be a good idea to reach out to the Homeless Alliance and let them know about this area. I know they have an outreach team that goes out and helps house these individuals or at least link them with resources.

This is my first ever post here, but long time viewer.

I was wondering if anyone here uses action center to report issues to the city? I downloaded the app and it shows the last reports being from 6 years ago. I was wondering if that’s correct or just a glitch?

I tried to report the air pumps not working at the city bike stations set up around downtown. They inspected it and said it was working.. I lugged my bike to two of them and neither worked.

I also had a negative experience when I called and tried to report a homeless individual digging through my gated apartments dumpster and requested assistance from the homeless outreach team. They told me to call the cops because HOT is only to break up homeless camps.

What is everyone else’s experience with reporting to action center?


We have city bike stations? Googling now.

https://www.okc.gov/departments/planning/current-projects/watch-for-me-okc/bike-racks-and-repair-stations

Not sure about the ones by The Edge and Harvey Bakery, but the other three in Deep Deuce and Bricktown all had broken pumps last time I checked them out. Just have to carry a small hand/foot pump.

The Action Center app no longer works, nor does the website.

You can still submit an issue through a webpage but it more or less goes into the ether. I've tried using it a couple of times and have yet to receive updates.

No idea why they made this change but the whole process now seems to be broken, or at the very least, takes much, much longer for anything to happen.

https://www.okc.gov/residents/action-center/report

The Action Center app no longer works, nor does the website.

You can still submit an issue through a webpage but it more or less goes into the ether. I've tried using it a couple of times and have yet to receive updates.

No idea why they made this change but the whole process now seems to be broken, or at the very least, takes much, much longer for anything to happen.

https://www.okc.gov/residents/action-center/report

Seems like they dumped OKC Connect without having a replacement in place? That's what the website is saying now anyways.

I just call my local city councilman's office. They have people on staff who know how to communicate with whomever.

It's always worked well for me.

Pete, Since the site went down, I have been successfully using this email action.center@okc.gov with follow-ups coming from the city just as they did when using the site.

The reporting from the mobile app is still removed and there doesn't seem any plan to replace it.

If you report through the rudimentary website, you get an automated response then nothing. I reported graffiti three months ago and no work has been done and no update provided. I did just email the action.center@okc.gov account.

The request I made before this took over 9 months to be resolved, with no updates until finished.


This is a really big deal because as we all know, the City does not proactively address any graffiti, trash, or hundreds of various codes. They also do almost no street sweeping and merely run a tractor over weeds and trash on public property once a month during the summer.

Their policy is just to wait for someone to complain. Well, even that process seems to be broken. I walk 3-4 miles every day and I should document the literally hundreds of issues I encounter every time. Our City is beyond poorly maintained which you only really notice if you get out of your car.

It took an entire thread here on OKCTalk and annoying them on twitter for months (years?) to get streetlights repaired downtown. The crazy part is the repairs happened extremely quickly once they started. Like maybe 1 day of work per section.

Large swaths of the city look run down and are full of trash. God, so much trash everywhere. This is a profoundly ugly city. MAPS 5 needs a billion dollars set aside for beautification and maintenance alone.

Large swaths of the city look run down and are full of trash. God, so much trash everywhere. This is a profoundly ugly city. MAPS 5 needs a billion dollars set aside for beautification and maintenance alone.

I've made the point several times that OKC keeps its sales tax artificially low so we can keep adding MAPS/Arena projects.

We've had the extra $.01 since the 90s and our sales tax is still at or below most communities in Oklahoma. We also do dedicated carve-outs for the zoo and the state fairgrounds.


So, they just don't have a budget for even basic maintenance beyond parks (which is still marginal outside the heavily tax-subsidized Myriad Gardens and Scissortail Park). And with that comes no expectation or accountability for cleaning up trash, cutting weeds, and basic maintenance issues like sweeping the gutters once a decade or maintaining sidewalks once they are installed (several in my neighborhood are overgrown and impassable, and most were added as part of the relatively recent program).

As someone who has lived elsewhere and seen how other cities are maintained, OKC's approach is absolutely shocking. At the same time, most people are whizzing around in cars and either don't notice or have become accustomed to the incredibly low standards.

The reporting from the mobile app is still removed and there doesn't seem any plan to replace it.

If you report through the rudimentary website, you get an automated response then nothing. I reported graffiti three months ago and no work has been done and no update provided. I did just email the action.center@okc.gov account.

The request I made before this took over 9 months to be resolved, with no updates until finished.


This is a really big deal because as we all know, the City does not proactively address any graffiti, trash, or hundreds of various codes. They also do almost no street sweeping and merely run a tractor over weeds and trash on public property once a month during the summer.

Their policy is just to wait for someone to complain. Well, even that process seems to be broken. I walk 3-4 miles every day and I should document the literally hundreds of issues I encounter every time. Our City is beyond poorly maintained which you only really notice if you get out of your car.

This app used to work so well—years ago. I would report an issue and in many cases, it would be taken care of within hours. Now, there’s nothing.

I recently spoke to Mayor Holt about the trash issue and he was extremely put off that I even brought it up to him. He dismissively told me “people always bring this up” as if it wasn’t valid or worth the time to address. I was shocked by his reaction, frankly. I also brought it up to my city councillor, who told me the solution was to ensure OKC businesses were paying everyone a living wage. Maybe she misheard me.

As someone who has lived elsewhere and seen how other cities are maintained, OKC's approach is absolutely shocking. At the same time, most people are whizzing around in cars and either don't notice or have become accustomed to the incredibly low standards.

Yes, compared to other cities OKC is filthy. And I understand every city has it's rougher areas but I'm talking about main thoroughfares in OKC, like near the airport or on I-35 throughout the city. I drove family from out of town around a few weeks back and I was so embarrassed.

People can say that it's tied to OKC's terrain or climate or whatever but it's simply not true. Being a flat, plains city has nothing to do with Oklahoma City looking literally like trash.

^

The problem is so huge and pervasive that it's just accepted as it is. It hardly even gets discussed.

It's because few people here have lived in another city and have no other perspective.


Pick any intersection in the city -- even the "nice" areas -- and go on foot and take photos. It's unbelievably bad.

Yes, compared to other cities OKC is filthy. And I understand every city has it's rougher areas but I'm talking about main thoroughfares in OKC, like near the airport or on I-35 throughout the city. I drove family from out of town around a few weeks back and I was so embarrassed.

People can say that it's tied to OKC's terrain or climate or whatever but it's simply not true. Being a flat, plains city has nothing to do with Oklahoma City looking literally like trash.

No, you're right. It's so dirty it's ugly. Like Pete said, the weeds, the sidewalks, even the streets. Trash everywhere. Driving south out of OKC through all that industry is ugly. Driving north on 35 past downtown is ugly. Finally I40 out west looks good because it's all new and suburbia looking. I've always thought that people driving through OKC on I35 would think it's an ugly city, except right there down town.

When things are new the area looks nice for a little while. But then greenery that was planted burns out and dies, weeds overcome, and concrete cracks. Then it becomes ugly.

But I love living here. It would be nice if it were cared for better. I'm put off by Mayor Holt's reaction to King.

^

The problem is so huge and pervasive that it's just accepted as it is. It hardly even gets discussed.

It's because few people here have lived in another city and have no other perspective.


Pick any intersection in the city -- even the "nice" areas -- and go on foot and take photos. It's unbelievably bad.

I was at a random underpass in Salt Lake City a few months ago for travel when I realized, "wow, this looks better than 95% of OKC." I want to be a good citizen and report these things but what can 1 person do? Can there be a big push for beautification and maintenance projects for the next MAPS? I'm so tired of living in an ugly city.

It used to be you could at least report things and something would happen. It's a ridiculous way to run a City but at least it was something.

Now even that seems to have quietly been eliminated.

Yet I often hear people from around hear talk about how bad those "big cities" are while ignoring the beam in their own eye.

Okie politicians seem to think the answer to everything is low taxes, but the other part of that is you get what you pay for.

I've always thought that people driving through OKC on I35 would think it's an ugly city, except right there down town.

I met a friend in Stillwater and drove back on I-35 basically from there to Norman last week.

Guys, it's dire. Even in a more rural area like Guthrie there's litter and trash everywhere on that stretch of interstate. Through the heart of the city it's the same, doesn't really matter where you are. Just such intense ugliness everywhere you look.

Areas along highways are down to ODOT which of course has its own very low standards.

But I'm talking about section-line intersections virtually everywhere. Trash, weeds, cig butts, graffiti... The City doesn't even periodically maintain these areas -- like at all, ever.

This app used to work so well—years ago. I would report an issue and in many cases, it would be taken care of within hours. Now, there’s nothing.

I recently spoke to Mayor Holt about the trash issue and he was extremely put off that I even brought it up to him. He dismissively told me “people always bring this up” as if it wasn’t valid or worth the time to address. I was shocked by his reaction, frankly. I also brought it up to my city councillor, who told me the solution was to ensure OKC businesses were paying everyone a living wage. Maybe she misheard me.

Nah, that sounds on brand to be honest. Bro loves playing the “City Manager City” card when faced with even the slightest amount of criticism.

The trash and maintenance issue is a huge can of worms.

Once you acknowledge it and try to address it, it's a massive undertaking and would require restructuring the entire budget and workforce.

The reporting from the mobile app is still removed and there doesn't seem any plan to replace it.

I always just text them and that’s easier than any other way. Just save the number in your phone
(405) 252-1053

Works great because you can easier send pictures of what you’re reporting and they will sometimes text back immediately with confirmation or further questions to make sure it is logged correctly in right location

^

Thanks! I'll do that.

I met a friend in Stillwater and drove back on I-35 basically from there to Norman last week.

Guys, it's dire. Even in a more rural area like Guthrie there's litter and trash everywhere on that stretch of interstate. Through the heart of the city it's the same, doesn't really matter where you are. Just such intense ugliness everywhere you look.

I reported the litter along I-35 to the guy at ODOT in charge of that stretch of the interstate in Logan County about 3-4 weeks ago, but from your report it sounds as if nothing has been done. I take solace that the warmer weather is coming and the shoulders and medians seems to get more litter pick up during the warmer months when the grass is green.

ODOT does seem to get litter pick up crews to the parts of the local interstates (I-35 and I-44) I drive daily about once every two months or so, getting it picked up completely. But that doesn't last long and needs to be done probably twice a month to stay on top of it. The wind here does play a part, but yes, more can be done to stay on top of it.

I was in Santa Barbara, CA this past weekend and the litter along the 101 in that area was 10% of what it is here--and CalTrans supposedly has major budget problems! They do have more graffiti on the interstates there though, I noticed that a lot more and it was very ugly.

Just keep documenting and reporting. I know it gets annoying to have to do, Jake, I feel like I am the only one as well and am convinced they groan when they see an email come in from me at the Action Center...Oh this guy again...but we all have to keep at it and then make it a campaign issue for these pols at City Hall. I also pick up on the micro level around my house and my office just for the sake of my own happiness and sanity. (Neat freak here).

I reported the litter along I-35 to the guy at ODOT in charge of that stretch of the interstate in Logan County about 3-4 weeks ago, but from your report it sounds as if nothing has been done. I take solace that the warmer weather is coming and the shoulders and medians seems to get more litter pick up during the warmer months when the grass is green.

ODOT does seem to get litter pick up crews to the parts of the local interstates (I-35 and I-44) I drive daily about once every two months or so, getting it picked up completely. But that doesn't last long and needs to be done probably twice a month to stay on top of it. The wind here does play a part, but yes, more can be done to stay on top of it.

I was in Santa Barbara, CA this past weekend and the litter along the 101 in that area was 10% of what it is here--and CalTrans supposedly has major budget problems! They do have more graffiti on the interstates there though, I noticed that a lot more and it was very ugly.

Just keep documenting and reporting. I know it gets annoying to have to do, Jake, I feel like I am the only one as well and am convinced they groan when they see an email come in from me at the Action Center...Oh this guy again...but we all have to keep at it and then make it a campaign issue for these pols at City Hall. I also pick up on the micro level around my house and my office just for the sake of my own happiness and sanity. (Neat freak here).

Thank you for being diligent and reporting these things. I will keep reporting as well. And yes, the older I get the more obsessive I get about keeping my home/area clean. I like to think of myself as a relatively relaxed person but litter is something that just disgusts me to my core. It genuinely really bothers me and I fixate on it.

I wanted to point out that the Downtown OKC Partnership -- funded by a Business Improvement District -- employs the Green Team downtown, and they do a great job.

I often go downtown on Saturday and Sunday mornings to take photos, and the Green Team is always out, cleaning up any mess from the night before and getting things ship-shape before the day really starts. They do this pretty much every day.

Downtown businesses are assessed to fund this as well as events and promotion. But it also illustrates how the City takes almost no responsibility for this basic function, resulting in yet another self-taxation initiative.

This doesn't really fit here, but it goes along with the general decline in OKC city services. My alarm permit came up for renewal. I was shocked to discover there was no longer an option for online payment!! There was a message saying that option had been removed and "might return" or some airily vacuous statement like that. I had to write them a check. So sad.

I wanted to point out that the Downtown OKC Partnership -- funded by a Business Improvement District -- employs the Green Team downtown, and they do a great job.

I often go downtown on Saturday and Sunday mornings to take photos, and the Green Team is always out, cleaning up any mess from the night before and getting things ship-shape before the day really starts. They do this pretty much every day.

Downtown businesses are assessed to fund this as well as events and promotion. But it also illustrates how the City takes almost no responsibility for this basic function, resulting in yet another self-taxation initiative.

Which is great and all for downtown. But…

I was thinking about this whole action center thing and there must have been a big change in their budget and also their staff because when the app was in service they would address the issue within days. (BTW, the app still works for other City services, but they removed the reporting feature.)

I submitted a request last December, heard nothing, sent them an email, and all they said is it's been 'assigned for inspection'. It's been almost 3 months.

I suspect they removed the reporting option from the app to curtail the number of issues they have to deal with. And even still, instead of taking days to resolve, it now takes months.

Thank you for being diligent and reporting these things. I will keep reporting as well. And yes, the older I get the more obsessive I get about keeping my home/area clean. I like to think of myself as a relatively relaxed person but litter is something that just disgusts me to my core. It genuinely really bothers me and I fixate on it.

You and I are are two obsessive peas in a pod, then.

It used to be you could at least report things and something would happen. It's a ridiculous way to run a City but at least it was something.

Now even that seems to have quietly been eliminated. Why is the city so reluctant to listen to the citizen's of OKC? Do they not care? Is it such a rampant problem that the city is so overwhelmed with negative comments? What is your objective spin on this problem?

Why is the city so reluctant to listen to the citizen's of OKC? Do they not care? Is it such a rampant problem that the city is so overwhelmed with negative comments? What is your objective spin on this problem?

I have to say that I find I am heard and I get responses more often than not to my requests. Most likely it is a staffing issue as with everything else these days in the service industry that are not on point. All of the city employees I have been in contact with don't give off an "I can't be bothered" vibe, so that's good. They are most likely doing the best the can with the resources they are given.

As I mentioned, there had to be a serious budget reduction regarding the people to address reported issues. The city budget is massive and they frequently move money around and even if there is public notice, it is often buried in places no one thinks to look.

They went from being ultra-responsive, to purposely removing the reporting feature from the app, to taking months for things that used to take days.

Something of significance has changed.

As I mentioned, there had to be a serious budget reduction regarding the people to address reported issues. The city budget is massive and they frequently move money around and even if there is public notice, it is often buried in places no one thinks to look.

They went from being ultra-responsive, to purposely removing the reporting feature from the app, to taking months for things that used to take days.

Something of significance has changed.

Ask your councilperson what has changed, I think yours is Cooper, same as ours, and his assistant has always been forthcoming and helpful when I've emailed him. Of course, "the city" might not want anybody to know, so he might not know or be able to find out if "the city" is truly intent on keeping whatever it is under wraps or hard to find.

Why is the city so reluctant to listen to the citizen's of OKC? Do they not care? Is it such a rampant problem that the city is so overwhelmed with negative comments? What is your objective spin on this problem?

I could be wrong but it feels like The Horseshoe has primarily concerned itself with drawing in tourists and new citizens. And those efforts aren't necessarily aligned with the interests of the city's existing citizens.

I could be wrong but it feels like The Horseshoe has primarily concerned itself with drawing in tourists and new citizens. And those efforts aren't necessarily aligned with the interests of the city's existing citizens.

drawing in tourists (ie tax revenue) is the only way we pay for stuff ..