From: BECKER, Joe <jbecker@swbno.org>
Date: Tue, Feb 17, 2009 at 2:32 PM
Subject: Apple Street Restoration
To: et61274@yahoo.com, jackie clarkson <jbclarkson@cityofno.com>, arnie fielkow <afielkow@cityofno.com>, Karen Gadbois <karen.gadbois@gmail.com>, shelly head <shead@cityofno.com>, cynthia lewis <cwlewis@cityofno.com>, shelly midura <smidura@cityofno.com>, ch morrell <CHMorrell@cityofno.com>, times picayune <fixthis@timespicayune.com>Cc: "JACKSON, Robert" <RJACKSON@swbno.org>, "BAHAM, Gloria" <GBAHAM@swbno.org>, "AUGUST, Rudy" <RAUGUST@swbno.org>
My name is Joseph Becker and I am the General Superintendent for the Sewerage and Water Board. First, let me apologize for the inconvenience associated with the sewer main replacement that is currently going on in your neighborhood. The sewer main is about 8 feet deep and runs down the middle of the street. The construction associated with this much excavation is very intrusive and time consuming. Rest assured we do everything within our control to minimize the delay and inconvenience to residents whenever we have to make such intrusive repairs.
The Sewerage and Water Board is continually researching our database of repair records and we identified a significant increase in the number of sewer problems in this area. In an effort to be proactive, a more detailed inspection was undertaken in order to identify the nature of the problem causing the increase in defects. In this instance, we found that the sewer main was very old and was in imminent danger of collapse. Rather than continue to respond to defects on an emergency basis and further inconveniencing our residents, a decision was made to replace these defective line segments, utilizing a contractor available to the Sewerage and Water Board.
The sewer work has been completed and the cuts have been backfilled. Currently, the contractor is in the 8100 block of Apple and is working on street restoration. Once he completes this work, the paving crew will move to the 8200 block and they will continue to repave, from block to block until the job is completed. The inspector assigned to this job indicated that the contractor is anticipating to move into the 8200 block of Apple in the next few weeks. It is the goal of the Sewerage and Water Board to have this resurfacing work completed as quickly as possible and to satisfy the requirements of the Department of Public Works for street restoration.
Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience that the repair work is causing you. The SWB is replacing these old, broken pipes in an effort to minimize future inconvenience to you on a returning emergency basis. We appreciate your patience and we will do everything we can to minimize the inconvenience as much as possible as we complete the surface restoration.
Joseph R. Becker, P.E.
General Superintendent
Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans
phone: (504) 585-2365
fax: (504) 585-2461
1 comment:
From: Erskin Taylor
Sent: Feb 17, 2009 6:26 PM
To: joseph becker , jackie clarkson , arnie fielkow , Karen Gadbois , Jenel Hazlett , shelly head , cynthia lewis , shelly midura , ch morrell , times picayune , Tahra Ann Taylor , dolores taylor
Subject: untimely work completion
Mr. Becker with all due respect do to you, and your position, this in no way explains the length of time it is taking to complete the job. I am a retired gentlemen and had many conversations with the subcontractors that did the first phase of this job. The first phase went on with hardly any difficulty at all, adequate time passed for the settling process to take place. The issue has been with the second phase which has taken up until this time to get started.
I have had conversation with your inspector 'Mitch," and the Project Engineer a Mr. Oje, who works for the subcontractor Aguillard. I am more than sure you are familiar with the names, or should be. The word is that the sub has taken on more than it can chew, and is not able to take on work of this size.The residents of this city had nothing to do with that process, and should not be penalized as a result of improper planning. The whole day (02/17/09) was wasted by this crew without having the proper number of people to do the job, nothing was done, another day wasted.
I do wish Mr. Becker any further statements address the specific problem (Time) and not give the residents any appearance of a smoke screen, because we can see clearly, even though the dust from the streets make it pretty hard to do. I am of the understanding there is a third phase which Boh Bros has to complete, we are hoping this transition is smoother than what has transpired between the first and second, we dread the thought.
Please give us some reason to be proud of our city, we are desperate.
Post a Comment