LETTER: Streets need work

Posted

The City of Port Townsend newsletter with notes from the mayor, included in the monthly water bill say that there are a number of projects up ahead, so many that Mayor Stinson says, “Whew!” This prompts me to ask if there is any thought at all of improving our streets when the mayor and council sit down to consider amenities for the public taxpayer that will directly benefit we kind folks that provide the money?

The letter says that the local economy is recovering, revenues flowed into the city coffers so “these construction related revenues provide us an influx to fund some one-time needs that have gone wanting under the tight budgets of the recession years.”

So we would expect to see included in those “gone wanting” projects, street repair.

Indeed, street repair is never a project except to renew the main arteries.

Everywhere, in the neighborhoods, not on the main arteries, streets are actually crumbling due to absolutely no maintenance for years and years.

Count yourself lucky if you see a truck and some city workers putting patches on in the hope that patching will suffice.

There have been a plethora of projects here to enhance everything but streets. Streets? What’s wrong with the streets?

Wake up planners and all you hired city experts.

Explain why street repair is a hush hush matter here. Spend those dollars you say you have now on something to benefit the people who pay for projects you deign to decide about in order of importance.

Neighborhood streets, folks. Tell us why we hear nothing about the mess they have become. And, locals, silence will never get the job done. Speak up.

KATHLEEN JACKSON

Port Townsend