FYI - this site is a third party site, not a local gov't site, and it's just luck if the appropriate people to receive your complaint happen to have discovered it and subscribed to it for their geographic area.

Fortunately, Montgomery County has its own system for this sort of thing. You can either dial 311 on your phone or follow this link to report your complaint and know the appropriate government office will be notified. Good luck.
http://www3.montgomerycountymd.gov/311/

The county's 311 web site is nearly useless for reporting issues like this. The 311 web site does not allow you to submit problems. It allows you to search for several types of issues, and has canned responses for them -- usually a phone number to call. If the issue you are inquiring about does not already exist, the site does not give you the option to submit a new problem.

In the 21st century, we should not have to rely upon 19th century technology -- making a phone call -- to get a problem solved. SeeClickFix can use geo-referencing information in smart phones to precisely list the location of a problem. It allows users to submit electronic photographs of the issue, and most importantly, users can submit problems any time -- not just during hours when county employees deign to answer the phone, and without ever waiting on hold. Until the county's 311 system works more like SeeClick Fix, it is a waste of taxpayer resources.

Charlie,

I disagree with your assessment of the 311 Website. Searching on "trash" on the 311 site got me to a list that included an item called "Debris Pickup." Clicking on that link got me to this page, where I can fill out and submit a form if it's a County-maintained street or call a number provided if it's a State-maintained road.

https://www3.montgomerycountymd.gov/311/Services.aspx?SolutionId=-1

Apparently that link in my previous post depends on a cookie on your machine, so the link as typed won't get you there, sorry. But if you follow these steps, you get to submit your info directly to the County:

1. Go to 311 site http://www3.montgomerycountymd.gov/311/
2. In the search enter "trash"
3. In the resulting list, click on "Debris Pickup"
4. Click on Create Service Request

When you search for "trash," there is an existing answer on the 311 site. However, it appears that most of the FORTY links that result when you search for "trash" require the web site visitor to make a phone call. It should also be noted that many of the existing results for a search for "trash" are not relevant, i.e., "Reporting a nuisance cat" and "Rats, Bedbugs, Mice,or Rodent Complaints".

The SeeClickFix's web site is simplicity itself to use. You don't have to search for a result that may not be relevant. You do not have to make a phone call ever.

I just don't see a reason to use a clumsy service like MC311 when a graceful, simple solution like SeeClickFix exists. I feel that the Montgomery County taxpayer would be better served if the appropriate county officials signed up for SeeClickFix alerts, rather than create or maintain a web site like MC311 which, for the most part, just points back to (or duplicates the results of) the Montgomery County website. In your example, you can find the same information on the County's web page. Why pay someone to re-duplicate the effort for creating the 311 site?

Finally, I think that especially for the purpose of reporting gang graffiti, trash that may have been left by a neighbor, etc., the fact that SeeClickFix is anonymous is definitely an advantage. You do not have to leave contact information that MC311 requires to submit anything.