Residents press Lebanon City Council over trenching, drainage and contractor conduct on Hunter and Somerfield project

At the May 27 Lebanon City Council meeting, several residents urged the city to take immediate action after recent utility work on Hunter and Somerfield streets, saying trenching and change orders left ditches full of dirt, exposed equipment and a risk of backyard flooding.

"My patio in my backyard drains to the north and that's full of dirt," said a resident who later identified himself as Terry, showing pictures and alleging the city approved a post‑start change order that changed boring to open trenching. He said forks and other equipment were left over the holiday and that the ditch fill increased the flood risk to his crawl space and patio.

The concern prompted multiple speakers during the public‑comment period. "If you go down Somerfield Road right now, there's mud, dirt, dust everywhere," said resident Brian Bucky, who said residents received little or no advance notice and called for contractors to be held to cleanup obligations in their contracts. "Who is in charge of cleaning up? Contractor, supervisor?" Bucky asked.

Mayor George and city staff responded that parts of the project were bid and planned differently: staff said Hunter Street work was bored where driveways were at risk, while other stretches were bid and awarded for open‑cut trenching. City staff identified the site contact as Jeff, who works for TWWM, and said the city pays a site inspector to monitor work and ensure installation follows engineering specifications.

City staff acknowledged some ditches were left with excess dirt and that one damaged culvert would be repaired the following day. They said the contractor's supervisor, identified on site as Braden, had texted the city committing to repairs, and staff noted the contract requires the contractor to restore disturbed turf and infrastructure before final payment.

Residents pressed for better communications and earlier notice of projects. "They don't contact people. They don't contact residents when there's things that need to be notified," one speaker said, arguing advance mailings or targeted notices would prevent blocked driveways and surprise equipment in front of homes.

Council members and staff agreed to follow up: staff said they would ask the contractor to clean ditches, repair culverts and provide documentation of repairs, and they discussed whether the city should adopt a formal notification policy for future projects.

The council did not take formal disciplinary action at the meeting; staff said they would return with documentation about the change order, repair schedule and whether contract enforcement measures (including withholding payment until repairs are complete) were warranted.