Correcting curb violations will save co$tly repairs
By SHARON KERR Staff Writer

Newsboy photos/Sharon Kerr PADDLING THE WILD NECHES? No, it's city streets in Jasper, after only a 30-minute rain. Creative driveway exits are a no-no that cost taxpayers a lot of money for street repairs.Tim Rhame, leadman for the city street department, points to one of many problem areas.

Erosion, rain, more erosion and rain - that's been the story all summer and it has kept city crews busy trying to stay ahead of the damage, according to Chris Woods, superintendent of the Jasper City Street Department.

Woods has an ally in Fire Marshal Stephen Williamson, who is the code compliance officer for the city of Jasper.

"My next big push will be to get curbs into compliance," Williamson said. "The area at issue is driveway entrances that block or obstruct the curb line. By correcting this, the street department will eliminate numerous areas that require repair on a frequent basis."

A few dozen letters went out this week to Jasper residents to who are in violation of city code.

Woods said he spent the last couple of weeks riding every street in Jasper, identifying which driveways are obstructing drainage with asphalt, concrete or other items that prevent water from flowing along the curb.

"We're not picking on anyone," Woods said. "In fact, the first house we documented was Williamson's own (the house he bought less than a year ago) because it doesn't meet code and he's going to have to fix it."

The homeowner has 90 days, until Dec. 1, to have the problem corrected, or the city will make the necessary corrections.

"Believe me, they don't want us to do it for them," Woods said. "When the city has to undertake work that the homeowner is responsible for, we charge not only for the labor and equipment at FEMA rates, we also have to charge for all the documentation and manhours."

It's an issue all taxpayers should be concerned with, according to Williamson, because obstructions that force water into the streets where it soaks into the asphalt, erodes the base, and causes expensive, and repeated repairs.

"Plus, it just looks bad. It'll improve property values to get this cleaned up," Woods said.

A river runs through it

As though on schedule, a downpour hit just before Woods was scheduled to show The Jasper Newsboy typical problems the city encounters. After a rain, it's easy to see what the street crews have to complain about.

In most areas, the runoff flows smoothly along the curbs and into drains. "Concrete can handle running water without showing wear year after year. However, asphalt can be damaged quickly by large amounts of water," according to Williamson.

Where flow is blocked, the problem is obvious. On College Street, concrete blocks the flow and sends torrents of water splashing in the air and swirling out into the street. "They probably did that to make it smoother to drive in and out," said Woods, "but it doesn't meet code and I've already told them they are going to have to take it out."

Until Williamson arrived, Woods said it had been a long time since anyone enforced code. "Just telling them doesn't work. They say they will fix it, but they don't," Woods says.

At another stop, the owners have placed a metal grill where the driveway meets the road. A dam of leaves and trash had accumulated against the grill and was backing up water halfway across the street.

Elsewhere, owners have filled in between the driveway and street with asphalt, sometimes installing plastic pipe, as though that might be adequate drainage. Less than 30 minutes of hard rain proved that wrong.

Even in neighborhoods where driveways were once in compliance, some owners have "improved" the property with new paving without getting a permit from the city.

"Some of those houses are going to need their driveway entrances redone," Woods said, "and they are not going to be happy. They may be new and look nice, but they are a problem that will damage the roads, and they will be getting letters."

Fixing the problem

Woods said he will be happy to discuss what needs to be done with any homeowner who gets a letter, but as a city employee, neither he nor Williamson can recommend a contractor. Homeowners can call him at 383-6128.

Woods said homeowners need to be aware that if they do not receive a letter from the city, they should beware of contractors who offer a cheap, but perhaps, unnecessary fix."I'd rather get a phone call first, discuss the problem if there is one, and be sure whatever the owner is planning to do will be done right to meet code so they don't have to do it again."

Woods and Williamson agree that in most cases it is not a doit yourself task. "Some of the problems will not be properly corrected if they only chip up the materials," Williamson said.

"Each job will be a case-bycase basis. Asphalt is easier to remove than concrete," Woods said. "If you have to cut concrete, that takes special saws with expensive carbon blades, and if you jackhammer it out and it damages the city-installed concrete under it, the homeowner or contractor has to repair that back to code."