Everyone must do their part to improve our Infrastructure

By: Jeff Miller

SEND is currently coordinating a large-scale infrastructure assessment of the nearly 900 blocks in the Southeast area. This assessment includes looking at the condition of our sidewalks, roads and alleyways. It involves making note of missing ADA ramps onto our sidewalks, sunken or collapsed storm drain sewers, dangerous IPL poles, and any other safety concerns. Thanks to the attention this assessment has achieved with our city councilors and with the Department of Public Works (DPW), the Southeast area is slated for repairs on many of our most troublesome areas.

However, it is important that we realize that improving and protecting our infrastructure is everyone’s responsibility. While the city needs to address the items mentioned above, each resident needs to do their part. Not everyone realizes that legally each person is responsible to maintain the area from the middle of the street in front of their house to the middle of the alley behind their house and everything in between.

Most people realize the need to mow their lawn and shovel snow from the sidewalks in the winter, but it is also our responsibility to cut down weeds in our sidewalks, street gutters and alleys. We need to turn in potholes to the city, which can be done via the Mayor’s Action Center at 327-4MAC. When it comes to storm drains, it is our responsibility to keep them clear of debris so that water won’t back up onto our streets but will instead safely flow down into the drains. The picture below shows a storm drain that is dangerously close to becoming blocked. When this happens, water flows down our streets and over time weathers our roads and causes the need for expensive and preventable infrastructure repairs.

If we as residents don’t do our part, it increases the expense for the city to maintain our infrastructure. Ultimately this will result in higher taxes for the city to pay to do the things that we are responsible for doing. Instead, if we could all take the time to be responsible for the infrastructure around us, it will serve to show the city that we are willing to partner with them in the mission to make our neighborhoods a safe place to live, work, and play.