MAYOR VOWS TO ENFORCE LAWS ON TARDY UTILITY COMPANIES
In announcing the creation of a “Pothole Posse”, Mayor Shirley Franklin today declared war on potholes and utility cuts that plague our city. The Street Operations Division, which determined that 553 potholes and 704 utility cuts exist in the city, will direct the Posse. Franklin also announced that the city will vigorously enforce the law which requires utility companies to repair cuts within 21 days of the completion of their work. (Utility cuts are holes or indentions in the street as a result from the work of utility companies. The cuts are usually characterized by a steel plate covering the street work.) “Today, January 17, 2002.
I am declaring war on the potholes and utility cuts that litter our city. I want my fellow citizens to know that my Pothole Posse will track down and fill the potholes that dot our city streets,” said Franklin.
The Posse is comprised of seven street repair crews ( two-seven workers each) from the Street Operations Division. Phase One of the effort, with the goal to completely eliminate the existing inventory of potholes and is expected to take approximately twelve weeks to complete. Once the existing holes are fixed, the Posse is committed to repairing all newly reported potholes within 72 business hours of report.
The crews will work five days per week, weather permitting. Potholes cannot be filled when streets are wet from rain or when temperatures fall below 50 degrees. In addition, the material costs of the repair work are included within the Department of Public Work’s budget and should not have an impact on the current budget gap.
Noting that potholes have become symbolic of people’s frustration at City Hall, Franklin said that “the Posse will not only demonstrate that my Administration is serious about fixing our streets, but also serious about fixing city government.”
Background Information: The Existing Condition
The Department of Public Works has identified 535 potholes and 704 utility cuts that existed as of January 1, 2002. All of these street defects are plotted on a large map located in the offices of the Street Operations division.
It is the City’s responsibility to repair all potholes.
“Utility cuts” are holes or indentations in the street that result from the work of utility companies. An un-repaired utility cut is usually characterized by a steel plate covering the street work. The City is not responsible for repairing utility cuts. It is the responsibility of the utility company to repair its own cut.
Under existing permitting rules, these utility cuts must be repaired within 21 days of the completion of the utility work. It is the responsibility of the City to enforce the 21 day repair limit.
Said Richard Franklin, “It is important to the public to know that not every street problem is the City’s direct responsibility. Part of the work of the Pothole Posse, though, is to make sure that utility companies fulfill their obligations to keeping streets safe, too.”
Pot Hole Repairs
Through the Pothole Posse, Street Operations will dedicate all 7 of its street repair crews to pothole repair for the next 90 days. The crews are comprised of 2-5 workers depending on the type of work performed. Street Operations does not anticipate allocating any overtime to the work of the Posse. The material costs of the repair work are included within the DPW’s budget and are not expected to be impacted by the current budget gap.
The crews will work five days per week, weather permitting. Potholes cannot be filled when streets are wet from rain or when temperatures fall below 50 degrees.
Richard Franklin cautioned the public that some potholes cannot be fixed merely by filling in the hole: “Some potholes are caused by slow water pipe leaks or by improper water drainage from private property. If we went in today and fixed the existing hole, it would just be back again in a matter of months. To make sure we address the underlying cause in these cases, and not just the symptom, will have to involve personnel from code enforcement and from United Water. These holes will take a little longer to fix. But the important point is to do find the long-term solution and not just do a quick fix.”
Richard Franklin, head of Street Operations, is directly responsible for the work of the Pothole Posse repair crews.
Eliminating Utility Cuts
A major focus of the Pothole Posse is to eliminate the 704 un-repaired utility cuts that exist today. On Wednesday, January 23, the City will meet with the 26 utility companies and sub-contractors responsible for the existing utility cuts. The purpose of the meeting is to put the companies on notice of their obligation to repair the existing cuts. Said Richard Franklin, “Friday’s meeting is just the start. We intend to be in daily communication with these companies to monitor their progress.”
Under current ordinances, a company taking out a permit for work in the City’s right of way is obligated to repair its utility cut within 21 days of completing its work. The City has the right to withhold future permits to any company that fails to meet its repair obligation.
As part of the Pothole Posse program, the City will strictly enforce the 21-Day requirement for any new permits. Each permit holder will receive written notice of the 21 days at the time it receives the permit and will be put on notice of the City’s intent to enforce this provision. Further, the City will monitor the progress of those companies in fixing the existing backlog of utility cuts. The City expects companies to make substantial progress in repairing the unfinished work and will not hesitate to withhold future permits from any company that does not make substantial progress in their repair obligations.
Said Richard Franklin, “We will talk to all of the utility companies on Wednesday, and we expect complete cooperation. I think they understand we are serious about this effort. I expect to see a lot of utility repair crews on the streets over the next few months.”
Reporting and Accountability
Mayor Shirley Franklin has asked for a weekly report of all work by the Pothole Posse to be on her desk each Monday morning at 8:00 a.m.
CallCenter for Reporting Pot Holes
As part of the Pothole Posse, a phone line has been established solely dedicated to the report of potholes or utility cuts. The number is 404-POTHOLE and will be manned from 9 a.m.to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The number has voicemail that will allow after hours reporting, as well. Citizens may also report potholes and utility cuts on the City’s web site at www.atlantaga.gov, under Online Services.
Goals
The Pothole Posse is a long-term effort to eliminate the backlog of potholes and utility cuts that exist today.
It is the goal of the Posse to completely eliminate the backlog of potholes by April 15, 2002.
The effort also seeks to completely eliminate the backlog of utility cuts by July 1, 2002. (Utility cuts are expected to take longer to repair.)
Once the backlog is eliminated, the Posse’s goal will be to repair all potholes within 72 hours of the initial report and to ensure that all utility cuts are repaired within 21 days of the completion of the utility work.