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Resident tells council city construction left her temporarily homeless; asks for driveway cleanup
Summary
Linda Dorfmont told the Hawthorne City Council that construction activity blocked her alley a month earlier, preventing her from returning home after a medical appointment; she said she lived in her car and asked the city to remove rubble from her driveway and ensure the situation does not recur.
During public comment, longtime Hawthorne resident Linda Dorfmont gave a detailed personal account of losing access to her home when city‑controlled construction allegedly blocked an alley and prevented her re‑entry.
Dorfmont said she left for a medical appointment and returned to find the alley blocked; construction workers refused to permit her to return, and she said she then slept in her car and moved between parking lots for safety. She described difficulties reaching the city for help, said she was routed among offices, and said a city attorney (Samuel English) eventually told her she could return home the following week; she said she was able to move back into her house on a Friday after that call.
Dorfmont asked the council to prevent similar incidents and to remove rubble and asphalt chunks left in her driveway during the work. She also reported personal losses (a pet bird died while she was displaced) and described the physical and emotional toll of the episode.
Excerpts and responses "A month ago, the city of Hawthorne made me homeless," Dorfmont said, recounting the sequence of events and her inability to return to the property while work crews blocked access. She told council she had been referred to a contact who did not return calls, and that she later visited the city attorney's office in person before being told she could go home.
Council and staff response Dorfmont named Samuel English in her account as the city attorney who helped arrange her return; he and other staff were referenced during the exchange. Council did not take immediate formal action during public comment but the speaker asked the city to remove material left in her driveway and to adopt steps to prevent future blockages that may cause vulnerable residents to be displaced.
What’s next The resident asked for the city to remove the rubble in her driveway and for assurances the situation will not recur. The council did not vote on a formal motion during comment; the transcript shows staff engagement and follow‑up promises by city staff, but no formal resolution recorded at the meeting.
