As of yesterday afternoon, 48 hours after Wednesday's flood event at the bottom of the valley-shaped 300 block of Columbia Street that saw water rise 18 inches and damage at least two cars, DPW still hadn't removed the debris clogging most of the storm drain across the street from 325 Columbia that was a big cause of the flood, if not the primary cause of the flood. They have completely ignored all the shit stuck to the storm drain that is waiting ONCE AGAIN to prevent as much rainwater as possible from getting off the street. Honestly, what the fuck? Perhaps Rob Perry and his foreman, Frank Rogers, will find the time on Monday have a look at the drain, but don't count on it. How about never? (As of this writing, a rainstorm is due in a few hours.)
At another important storm drain that also collects runoff from two directions (it also being directly at the low point in a valley-shaped street with hills on both sides), this one on North 6th, is further evidence that Rob Perry may be checked out. Completely fucking checked out, but still making, by my estimate, more than $60 per hour in a 40-hour work week.
The drain on 6th at Prospect probably handled a lot of water and debris on Wednesday, though not readily. The leftover debris still clogging much of that drain, seen two days after the deluge and at the beginning of the weekend, is evidence that Rob Perry and his foreman are not at all serious about preventing floods and other trouble as a result of heavy rainfall. Heavy rainfall that is getting more common as a result of climate change (something Perry, I have no doubt, would call "a hoax" and "fake news.")
Everyone, including Rob Perry and his DPW Foreman, knows that our ancient sewer system has a difficult time handling large amounts of rainfall. Isn't this problem exacerbated by DPW if they have no interest in clearing debris from completely and partially clogged storm drains, especially those found at the bottom of valley, ON A REGULAR BASIS AND PARTICULARLY AFTER HEAVY RAIN AND FLOOD EVENTS CAUSED BY CLOGGED DRAINS? Where is the preventive maintenance? Where is the maintenance, period? Where is the sanity? Where is the accountability? Where is Rob Perry?
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| Nothing says WE DON'T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT FLOODS OR THE WELLNESS OF OUR SEWER SYSTEM quite like this. (This well-sunken drain is a serious hazard to cyclists! Think Perry or his foreman gives a shit?) |
Take a look at the storm drain pictured above. How much more debris would it take to be swept there in a rain to COMPLETELY CLOG THAT DRAIN? Do you think Rob Perry or Frank Rogers gives a crap if that drain becomes completely clogged 10 minutes after today's forecasted rain, on a Saturday when DPW isn't around? Then what? Continue to do nothing? Hope a nearby resident or two takes the time to clear the storm drain of debris while rain is pouring down and runoff with nowhere to go is starting to accumulate in the street, maybe even rising as high as a foot and a half? How about 3 feet high and rising? How about 6 cars get flooded and have to be towed and possibly scrapped? How about, as happened on Columbia Street 4 days ago, no cars or trucks can pass through North 6th Street in either direction because of the amount of water at Prospect Street, at the bottom of both hills that are continually supplying rain runoff to the growing lake with little to no drainage? How about 3 nearby basements get flooded, including the basement of a mayoral candidate?
Honestly, what the flying fuck? If DPW didn't find any time on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday to clear conspicuously clogged storm drains in town, what the hell did they find time to do? Mow the lawn and remove weeds at the 7th Street Park (which they did yesterday)? What prevented the DPW foreman from inspecting the surface of every storm drain over the past three days, especially those at the bottom of hills, to ensure they were free of debris and ready for another rain, especially a large one? This isn't one of his job duties? Is he on vacation?
Who is making sure that Rob The Slob Perry is doing his job? Would that be our so-called mayor, Kamal Johnson, Rob's supposed superior? You have got to be fucking kidding me!
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| Didn't Rob Perry just tell the council how important it is for DPW to remove "grit" from our streets before it gets into the sewer system? Does that "grit" include all the extra debris, stones, gravel, dirt, etc. that can be found on our streets and clogging storm drains after heavy rainfalls? |
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| I heard the DPW street sweeper early Friday morning, but apparently it never made it to all this debris left over from Wednesday's major rainfall. Today's rain may send it down the nearby storm drain, if it can make it past all the debris clogging the drain. |
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| Pick any day of the week and you will likely see garbage (literally, garbage!) covering the storm drain in Prison Alley at 6th. Every fucking day and night! If it's not just one bag, it might be seven of them, always with other loose trash! |
In the winter, DPW utilizes parking spaces in 3 corners of the City Hall parking lot to mound snow it plows from the lot. When the mound in the northeast corner was last removed (or melted away) in March or April of this year, DPW decided to leave all the debris behind that was inside the mound of snow. And there it all still sits, 4 months later, covering much of the parking space and adjacent to it. "Grit" that Rob Perry says costs the city a lot of money to remove from the water treatment plant on Dock Street. "Grit" that damages his expensive machinery. "Grit" that is better and more easily and cheaply dealt with by being swept off pavement before rain gets to it, sending it past a storm drain and into his precious sewer system. Plus, it's a handicapped parking space, you'd think it wouldn't be full of and surrounded by shit to walk, or ride a wheelchair, on at all times.
It's difficult to believe much of anything Rob Perry says, isn't it?
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