Residents and commissioners press Via over off‑site dispatch and language barriers

Multiple residents and the Via representative raised consistent complaints about off‑site dispatching and limited local knowledge among remote dispatch staff. A River Terrace resident said dispatchers sometimes "act like they don't understand English," and recounted long waits and missed pickups. Via's representative acknowledged the complaints, called off‑site dispatching a consistent pain point and said, "we are discussing the best solutions with Leah" and will explore routing calls to native English speaking countries as an interim option.

Commissioners and staff proposed operational fixes including asking callers to notify dispatch when they have large grocery loads, designing special grocery runs on high‑demand days, and coordinating with agencies that distribute benefits to smooth demand. Via agreed to meet again after a Friday meeting and to report back to the commission with options.