CONVENT, LA – St. James Parish Government officials are implementing a new central call center to field resident concerns about clogged drainage ditches, potholes and other service requests.

The three-person Citizens Service Center will be housed within the Operations Department at the parish government complex in Convent, Louisiana.  It will be equipped with online services to better track citizen service requests, whether through the telephone or via online, parish officials said.   

One of the primary goals of this initiative is to improve efficiency and transparency as it relates to our resident’s requests for parish services.  The Citizens Service Center, or CSC, and its online components is a step toward achieving that goal, said Parish President Pete Dufresne. 

Service Center employees will be capable of transferring calls and requests to the appropriate department and input them into a work order system that will map the location of the request, allowing residents to track its completion and the parish to track the expenses. 

“Our residents become frustrated when they call the parish to request services and they are bounced around from department to department. Sometimes they believe that when they make a request service it falls into a black hole never to be seen again.  The new CSC will alleviate many of these frustrations,” said Rick Webre, Director of Operations for St. James Parish Government.  

The hours of operation for the Citizens Service Center is 7:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Thursday, and 7:30 am to 11:30 am on Fridays.  Residents can call (225) 562-2500 to speak directly to a call center operator that will either provide parish information, transfer a call to the appropriate department, or place a work order for requested services.  This telephone number will quickly become the central point of contact for St. James Parish Government Services, Webre said.

Additionally, residents can track or place a request for services online 24 hours a day at https://arcg.is/1jmnbj.