Residents of Plantation Park in First Colony will have to wait until next month for sidewalk repairs to be completed after the contractor sent to the neighborhood last month left after he said his employees were harassed by residents.
Holes like these were left in several sidewalks last month after contractors in Plantation Park left the job, claiming they were being harassed by residents. Work should be completed next month.
“The contractor was interrupted, questioned and challenged on his activities to the degree that he could not accomplish his work,” said Public Works Director Scott Elmer in an e-mail to Missouri City council members. Elmer said city staff told the contractors to shift their focus to other areas until Plantation Park “settled down.”
According to a resident of the neighborhood, one woman who was questioning the contractor was asking why she received a letter informing her that she needed to complete tree remediation while her neighbor was already getting his sidewalk repaired, which also had tree root damage.
“This little old lady is 76 years old, has had two knee replacements within the last year and is having heart trouble,” wrote the resident in an e-mail to City Councilman Robin Elackatt. “She must have been a big threat to them.”
The contractor left small holes in the sidewalk where incomplete work was abandoned. The holes are not deemed an Americans with Disabilities Act violation, but at least one resident has said that a pet sprained a leg after walking into one.
According to Missouri City, residents were questioning why repairs were being made in some areas and not others.
The issue started in May, when a resident asked the city to asses the sidewalk situation in the neighborhood. One resident said his son, who is in a wheelchair, cannot maneuver around the neighborhood unless he does so in the street – a situation the father said was not safe for his son.
A survey was conducted after receiving the resident’s request, and a contractor was hired to repair sidewalks where tree roots were not the problem. The city sent letters to 34 residents advising them that tree issues needed to be remediated before the sidewalk could be repaired.
The letters stirred up some controversy, with some residents claiming that other First Colony neighborhoods were not responsible for remediating tree issues, and at least one resident told council in an e-mail that First Colony residents are caught in the middle of First Colony and the city.
According to the resident, First Colony builders violated the city’s ordinance regarding landscaping, and the city allowed the violation to occur. The resident told City Councilman Robin Elackatt that the city should be responsible for those violations, not the homeowner.
According to the city, “the city has a uniform council-adopted policy for all sidewalk repair requests; no different decisions were made regarding Plantation Park.”
Read the city’s sidewalk policy here.
Elackatt sent an e-mail to council, the mayor, Elmer and City Manager Frank Simpson urging that the work be completed as soon as possible, saying the holes in the sidewalk look “horrible.”
“To me, the question here is not who is right, but what is the right thing to do,” said Elackatt. “Let us work together to do what is right.”
This government does not understand the big picture.. They are planting trees like crazy on one side of the city and wanting them cut down on the other. Our sidewalks lie on a greenspace about 4 feet fromn sidewalk to curb.. The trees in many cases take up 2 feet of that space. If you put in a root barrier, it will kill the tree.. No respectable tree company will do the work because they know that the barrier will surely kill the tree. This government has its head in the sand and ignores the long term effect.. Its not just about sidewalks,, The curbs are being pushed out and are cracking,, the streets will soon look like the sidewalks, the sewers will become clogged with tree roots. They need to look at the big picture and look beyond sidewalks.
I know many who are going to cut down their street trees.. It has been said that for every tree cut, the value of the home decreases by 5 thousand dollars.. 2 trees cut would be a 10000 dollar reduction of property value.. Now talk about tax rates,, less value to get city taxes from..
This city needs to improve on 3 things,, respect for its citizens from elected and appointed officials,, fairness to all areas of the city ( if there is an ordinance, rule or law it must be enforced the same for everyone) , Honesty ( thats the one thats gonna be the hardest).. If these 3 things do not happen we may as well elect a King and his court at the next election..
After visiting many different cities across the U.S. and other European and Central American countries, I am truly amazed at the lack of sidewalks in Texas. It seems like a small thing. But it’s not. Sidewalks keep walkers and bikers safe and they actually help to build communities in small areas. They support and encourage local commercial business while cutting down on travel costs for people.
But one thing a lack of sidewalks does do is make people buy more gas.
Guys…we have a chance each year to end this madness. It’s very similar to FBISD asking kids to walk extraordinarily long distances to school because they are trying to save dollars that were ineffectively spent from years gone bad. Join me and fight for the ones that can’t speak up for themselves and if you can speak up…then let’s get your voices heard. Reliable Gov’t is coming soon to Missouri City and a neighborhood near you!
Email me: noelpinnock@gmail.com, if you are interested or visit http://www.noelpinnock.com
Noel if you’re really sincere and want to help, why don’t you run against Grady Prestage? If anyone has overstayed his welcome it’s he. If you run against him, I and many others will support you.
In Missouri City, its all about respect or should I say the lack of.. The Public Works Director said in an email that people were emailing him and asking for information,, this information ultimately proved that certain sections of FCCA that were in Missouri City were being treated much differently than another. One neighborhood with about 400 homes got 5 letters for sidewalk violations while another with 96 homes got 34.. Of the 5 letters that were goven the 400 home subdivision, 3 were repaired without a root barrier being installed,, one did not look like it needed repair and the last was so broken up, mudjacking sould not do it any good. 35% compared to less than 1%.. not fair if you ask me. Public works said that the 96 home neoghborhood needed to “settle down” before work would be completed.. Lets see,,,,hummm thats what I say to children when I want them to be quiet..Settle down or we will take our ball and go home.
We need to speak for those who cannot speak like the folks in wheel chairs and the elderly.. Missouri City wont listen to them,, I guess cause they dont play golf.
Why did te Public works director get so upset with questions being asked of him.. Is there something to hide,, isnt that why they are there to help us? He is being paid by us,, why does he get his undies in a wad when asked questions.
The leaders, or should I say “rulers” of Missouri City are engaged in a conspiracy with the rulers of First Colony to defraud the people.
Remember who you voted for? An elections are just around the corner for 2010-11 elections! Get an vote them out, incumbents tobe replace for justice an sidewalks!
No sidewalks no justice!