For the past two months there has been a big stain in front of Donald Sorrels' driveway on Tucson's West Side. Sorrels and neighbors said the stain is both unsightly and damaging the asphalt.
The stain comes courtesy of the city of Tucson. About two months ago, a city garbage truck broke a hydraulic hose there, spilling out several gallons of fluid. Even now, after the stain has dried, Sorrels said it tracks into the driveway and onto the bottoms of shoes. He also thinks it's seeped permanently into the asphalt, ruining it. Besides, he said, it's ugly.
"If they could resurface this, it would really solve a problem for us," Sorrels said.
Sorrels says the city has been unresponsive.
But Cristina Polsgrove, spokeswoman for the city's Environmental Services Department, said records show a work order was completed for the stain and closed on June 13. Nearly two weeks later, though, she said, Sorrels called to say nothing had been done.
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So, a supervisor went out and put down hydraulic absorbent. The fluid had also spread into Sorrels' gravel driveway, so the city cleaned that up, too, she said.
For good measure, the city sent out a street sweeper. But Sorrels and a neighbor said the street sweeper never swept up the slick. It just drove down his cul-de-sac and turned around.
"I think they were thinking it was just going to go away, but it hasn't," said Milan Kruse, a neighbor. "It just doesn't look good."
Not only is there a large stain outside Sorrels' driveway, but there is a big streak that stretches down the road about 20 feet. There is also a second, smaller stain outside another home where Sorrels said the city repaired the trash truck.
Polsgrove, of the city, said workers followed procedure and have been responsive. She wondered if the damage to the road might have actually come from rainwater pooling near Sorrels' driveway.
Polsgrove said that a crew with the city's Streets & Traffic Maintenance Division is going to inspect the damage, and if the road needs to be resurfaced it will be.
"We want them to inspect the area and see what should be done," she said.
— Josh Brodesky
Taxpayer Watch update
On April 8, the Pima County Department of Environmental Quality said it would forward a complaint about a burned-down trailer near South Palo Verde Road and East Benson Highway to the Pima County Attorney's Office, in hopes of finding the owner to issue a citation.
Four months later, they still haven't found the owner.
"The criminal investigator was unable to contact any of the parties on the deed due to their being deceased, in prison or disappearance," said Scott Porter, Pima County Department of Environmental Quality enforcement manager.
Who's responsible
If you're affected by potholes, crumbling roads and ugly oil spills from city vehicles, call the city's Streets & Traffic Maintenance Division, 791-3154.
Do you have a problem but you're getting nowhere getting government to respond and fix it? E-mail taxpayer@azstarnet. com with the problem, your name and a phone number where you can be reached. Or call 573-4142.
