Dear Mayor Fraim,

The civic league has been receiving a large number of complaints from residents about problems associated with the sanitary sewers in Colonial Place and Riverview. City workers are usually prompt in attending to reported problems, however, after sewers are cleaned, they stop up again. Each call placed for service means that one or more of our residents have been inconvenienced by sewage backing up into their home, or the odor of sewer gas, both unhealthy conditions. In addition, City employees spend much time running from one problem area to the next without the underlying problem being fixed.

In Riverview, on Ethel Avenue, the street was dug up over a month ago because of repeated sewage back ups. The excavation was backfilled and surrounded with sawhorses, and then abandoned. Since then temporary patches have been made. What permanent correction will be made so that back-ups don't continue?

On Beach Avenue where both City and HRSD sewers run, VACTOR trucks are a common sight. Residents don't know the full extent of the problem, but we know there is one. Both the City and HRSD have sent camera trucks to investigate. Is this situation going to be corrected soon?

In Colonial Place, there have been reports of sewage overflowing into residents' homes, which resulted in the destruction of private property, sewage backing up into neighborhood streets, and potholes believed to be the result of deteriorated and infiltrated sewer pipes.

In both Colonial Place and Riverview, potholes are numerous and may be the result of failed sewers. In order for the ground under the roadbed to sink, it must go somewhere. We suspect it's going into the sewers, especially when there is a sinking area in the middle of the street with the pavement surface intact. If water intrusion is carrying soil into the sewers and stopping them up, as well as ruining our roads at the same time, permanent fixes, not repeated cleaning and road patching, are in order.

How old are the sewer systems in Colonial Place and Riverview? What is their expected economic service life? The streets in our two communities show many signs of being worn and also need to be repaved. When was the last time they were paved? Ideally, the sewers will be replaced before the roads are repaired. What is the City's schedule for replacing the sewer systems and repaving the streets in our two communities?

Please send me a written response in reference to these questions, so that I can inform the residents of Colonial Place and Riverview. If you have any questions about the issues expressed here, please contact me at 628-4588 or 640-8938 or e-mail me at jkstark2@juno.com.

Sincerely,

Kathryn E. Stark
Community Improvement Chairperson