Sinkhole City!

It's been a relief to be without the regular torrents of rain we had in late June and all of July, but we're not out of the water yet, so to speak. Through the remainder of this year and possibly into next, DPW will continue to deal with the effects of all that rain we had.  By my count, DPW has tended to at least 5 sinkholes and two water main breaks this year. I say tended to, not repaired. Let's see what still lies ahead for them and us.

The starkest reminder of what DPW still needs to deal with is the mess in the street above the water main break that occurred under South 4th Street on July 9th, nearly two and a half months ago.  While the DPW Water Department tended to this burst pipe right away, they only fixed it temporarily.  It seems that Robert Perry is still waiting for Catskill to help us permanently fix the pipe.  When will Catskill's workers and their braided guillotine saw arrive to save us?  Will it happen this year?  (Has DPW decided to buy their own saw and waiting for it to arrive?)

They can't make this look a little less crappy?  Who is 
such a slob at DPW?

In late June, as Hudseen reported at the time, evidence of a sinkhole appeared on Columbia Street near 4th Street. Other than cutting the pavement right away in preparation of excavation, DPW has done nothing about the sinkhole under our truck route for nearly 3 months. According to the DPW Foreman, they just haven't had time to get to it.  I don't recall Robert Perry ever mentioning anything about this sinkhole at any council meetings, and certainly not during the past two meetings.

Truck route sinkhole, unattended to 
for nearly 3 months by DPW

I did notice, however, that DPW found the time this week to cut some rectangles in sidewalks around town for some new sidewalk trees to be planted.

Yesterday, DPW spray painted around the small hole (evidence of a sinkhole) which appeared several weeks ago at the intersection of Columbia & 6th.  I had sent several emails to Robert Perry and Kamal Johnson about this one, but to no avail.  DPW Foreman Ronny Van Benschoten asked me yesterday, "Bill, why didn't you tell me about the hole at 6th and Columbia?"  I told Ronny that I had informed his boss and the mayor of it several times starting weeks ago.  It seems that Ronny had not been relayed the message and had to find the sinkhole himself.

6th & Columbia, painted and ready to be cut

Finally -- though there may be others I am unaware of -- there is still evidence of a sinkhole in front of the county building at 610 State Street.  I've done my best to inform Robert Perry about this one for at least 6 weeks, but there is no spray paint around the hole, which means that DPW is either not worried about it or they are unaware of it.

Or maybe our DPW Superintendent is done with sinkholes for 2023!

Everything's fine!  Let's dance!