Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Local Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Dearborn public works says Cherry Hill sinkhole repair will be finished before winter; resident says house still shakes
Summary
A Dearborn resident told the City Council her house shakes when heavy vehicles pass over a patched sinkhole; Public Works Director Tim Hawkins said underground work was completed in April and surface repairs are scheduled under current contracts and should be finished before the close of the season.
Council President Joseph Cerini and the Dearborn City Council heard on Sept. 9 from a homeowner who said a sinkhole repaired beneath her street in April still lacks a finished surface and is causing repeated shaking in her house. Kathleen Harrison of 22530 Cherry Hill told the council that a sinkhole near her curb was first noticed Jan. 31, that her husband later fell through the opening and that city crews repaired the underground utilities on April 28.
"Every time a truck or trailer goes over it ... our whole house shakes," Harrison said during the public-comment portion of the meeting. She and neighbors say drivers now swerve into oncoming traffic to avoid the sinking patch.
Tim Hawkins, director of the Department of Public Works, told the council that engineering staff had performed the underground repair and that city contractors could not complete surface restoration until contracts were in effect. "We have our contractor as of July 1 that started Eminent Contracting," Hawkins said. He added the city also hired Deponio Contracting and is considering re-bidding to expand capacity.
Hawkins said city staff expect the surface repairs to be completed this year if weather permits. "We may go longer depending on weather. We have enough. And if the contractors are willing to do it and it's above 28 degrees and rising, we can keep working," he said. The council asked staff to log the complaint and to notify the council when the final surface work is finished.
No formal council motion or vote was taken on the complaint; the exchange ended with staff assurances that the repair would be scheduled under the current contracting plan and completed prior to the close-of-season window identified by public-works staff. The transcript shows repeated references to interim staffing and system-wide workload: Hawkins told the council the department has had "over 70 water main breaks in the last 4 months," which affects scheduling for surface repairs.
The resident pressed for an earlier completion date because of safety concerns during winter plowing and because heavy traffic on the thoroughfare amplifies the problem; Hawkins said the city would prioritize the work within the limits of existing contracts and seasonality. Council staff agreed to log the request and asked Hawkins to notify the council when the surface repair is done.
Community members with similar reports should contact the city's engineering or public-works offices; council members indicated they expect follow-up when the work is completed.
