Commissioners press for report on widespread potholes after residents report damage and safety incidents

Hamilton County commissioners on Feb. 20 pressed administration for an assessment of an unusually severe pothole problem affecting county, municipal and state routes and asked the county engineer to explain responsibilities and repair timelines.

Commissioner Alicia Reese described a wave of resident complaints and one staff member’s car slide into a ditch after swerving around a large pothole. "These potholes are everywhere ... a hole could fill a whole car in it," she said, and asked for a report that would allow staff to tell residents who to contact and when repairs will occur.

County Administrator Jeff Aludo said county public-works staff and the county engineer are tracking the problem and that responsibility generally falls to the county engineer for county roads and to municipalities or townships for their streets. He said the recent rain–freeze–thaw cycles had produced unusually many severe potholes across the region.

Commissioners asked the engineer to provide a written report on: which roads are county responsibility, how many potholes are outstanding, whether a rapid-response task force is needed, and an estimated repair timeline. The board said the issue is a public-safety concern because potholes are appearing on highways, exit ramps and main streets.

Administration agreed to coordinate with the county engineer and bring an update to a future meeting; commissioners said Eric (county engineer) would be asked to present the report at a staff or legislative meeting.