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Andover resident asks council to honor landscaping, repair commitments after 150 Ninth Street project
Summary
At the City of Andover public forum, resident Phil Benedict said utility work tied to the 150 Ninth Road project damaged his sewer line, flooded his basement and removed trees; he asked the city to pay an HOA invoice and replace trees and seed in the proper season.
Phil Benedict, a resident who lives just off 150 Ninth Street but whose mailing address is in Wichita, told the Andover City Council at its April meeting that utility work tied to the 150 Ninth Road project damaged his home and that promised post‑project landscaping has not been fulfilled.
Benedict said Evergy crews hit a sewer line during the project, causing repeated backups that flooded his basement, ruined carpet and walls and destroyed personal items. He said a Roto‑Rooter crew videotaped a piece of piping lodged in the new sewer line and that repairs and cleanup were done at his expense. "All I ask is that you honor the commitment you made to us at the beginning of this project," Benedict said, asking the council to pay an invoice his homeowners association submitted in December that covers trees and seed planted by 13 HOA households.
Benedict also described lingering problems he says result from the road project: new, very bright street lights; noisy manhole covers; heavier traffic including large trucks; and a drainage ditch that now holds water on the north end of the HOA property, which he said could increase mosquitoes. He asked the council to pay the HOA invoice in May so plantings can occur in the proper season.
Mayor Ronnie Price opened public forum remarks and allowed Benedict to speak; no formal council action was taken on his request during the meeting. Another resident, Sky Rackley, offered brief comments thanking the city for tornado recovery efforts and saying he would follow up with staff about resources mentioned at an April 22 meeting.
Benedict said he and his neighbors consider themselves part of Andover even though his postal address is Wichita; he noted his family uses Andover schools and businesses. He said the neighborhood has been working to reseed and replant and that the invoice was a shared HOA expense. The council did not move on the invoice during the meeting; Benedict said he expected no action that night but asked for payment in May.
The city did not provide a response on record during the public comment period and the public forum was closed after additional speakers finished.
Note: because this occurred during the council's public forum, no ordinance, resolution or vote was recorded on the transcript related to Benedict's request.
