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Residents press county over dangerous potholes on County Road 234; manager outlines limited crews and equipment status
Summary
Multiple residents urged immediate repairs on County Road 234 and other local roads; county manager and public works staff said the county runs two pothole crews, one machine was down for repair but crews were sent to CR 234 and staff are training on a new resurfacing machine.
Residents raised repeated public comments during the Feb. 11 Alachua County commission meeting about hazardous potholes on County Road 234 and other rural roads, calling the conditions “life threatening” and asking for immediate repairs.
Al Schmidt, a resident of County Road 234, said potholes had persisted for months and that a county engineer’s letter outlining prior patching work left neighbors unconvinced. Multiple callers and attendees said they have seen little routine maintenance and asked the county to provide regular interim repairs until the scheduled paving project this summer.
During public comment, Commissioner Wheeler and others urged residents to use the county’s written reporting channels, including an email contact (rbmaintenance@alachuacounty.us) and to copy the board for persistent issues. Commissioner Alfred suggested providing photos and precise locations to speed crew response.
Missy Daniels, the county manager, and public-works staff explained the county’s current capacity: two pothole crews and two specialized machines, but one machine was temporarily out of service and due for repair by the end of the week. Daniels said crews were dispatched to County Road 234 that day and that staff are training crews on a new machine intended to improve small-area paving and resurfacing; training and operational limitations will influence which roads are appropriate for that equipment.
Staff said some roads, including CR 234, are scheduled for repaving in a larger paving program this summer; in the interim, the county will continue reactive pothole work and advised residents to report locations via email or the county’s maintenance reporting system to create a documented request queue. The board also recommended that residents provide photographs to supplement service requests.
