Thank you for the information. A work order has been generated.

a work order was opened before and it was never fixed.

Close the issue when you fix it.

I moved the asphalt over to the shoulder so that it is no longer blocking the grate & uncovered two holes that go all the way through the street to the storm drain (see attached photo) Seems like this could create additional problems the longer it isn't fixed.

Thanks Peter, I agree that issues shouldn't be closed until they're fixed.

SeeClickFix is for potholes and street lights only. Any other issues need to be called into the office at 617-972-6420

Thank you

It's sad but opening a work order doesn't mean anything. Nothing gets done till the Super tells the crews exactly what to do. I just drove by the WSB and there was a DPW crew sitting in a truck doing nothing. I almost stopped and asked them to fix the grate ;-)

Thank you for the information. As stated above, SeeClickFix is for potholes and street lights only. Any other issues need to be called into the office at 617-972-6420

Thank you

This location is all of two blocks from the DPW. If Jerry has made it to the office ask him to send a crew. They could walk there!

Why do you keep closing the issue? There is still a hole in the street clear through to the sewer.

This is the second time a work order was opened. One was opened last year and NOTHING WAS DONE !!!!!!

Nothing on this site indicates that it's only for potholes & streetlights.
If calling worked, this would have already been resolved.

We have called & called back & spoken to town councilors who told us to use SeeClickFix for this issue. The town employee who deals with the town website also said to use SeeClickFix because the Request for Service part of the town website isn't working or isn't working well. Additionally, it's been more than a week & the asphalt is still sitting there (yet so simple to just come pick up) & no communication from the town; this seems ridiculous.

Peter, thank you for your support on this, it shouldn't take this much effort.

Lori, we took your advice & called because it may snow this weekend & the asphalt is still here & the grate is not repaired (we hope that you're feeling better & back to work soon). Cindy issued 2 work orders on Jan 7 & 2 more on Jan 16 for asphalt removal & road repair - she offered to create more work orders today but otherwise can do no more. Cindy doesn't know why this hasn't been taken care of & said only Ed Baptista can order the crew to address either issue & Ed had already gone for the day

Given Cindy's frustration with us trying to get this resolved through her we called the Town Manager's office - Mike was busy but Marcia took our info & said that she would try to get someone over here to at least pick up the asphalt today.

We understand that this is not Watertown's most pressing issue but at the same time we started this process nearly a year ago & now our snow blower is broken as a result of it not being addressed (additionally, Marcia was the first person to tell us that we could file a claim with the town for the repair).

A crew was here 30 minutes after we spoke to Marcia & the asphalt is gone. The repair has to wait until they have more patch material but what a difference in how our call was received by the Town Manager's office vs. DPW.

"Only Ed Baptista can order the crew to address either issue & Ed had already gone for the day"

I find it amazing that the WDPW has to micromanage every employee activity. Nothing, absolutely nothing is done unless a Super tells an employee to do it. If Gerry and Ed aren't around, and they usually aren't, you might as well send everybody home.

The pothole has been and issue for months but it only gets taken care of if you call the Town Manager's office. Is it just me or is something really, really wrong with this situation?

Finally, given that this is pothole season, with all the freezing and thawing, why doesn't the WDPW have any patching material? After all this happens every year folks.

I'd ask Ed, but he's gone for the day ;-)

Peter we do appreciate your support and interest but I believe that Ed & Jerry put extra hours in during storms so I don't care when they work as long as things are getting taken care of.

When I spoke to Jerry last Tuesday he explained that there are issues about getting asphalt patch because of the temperature. Asphalt companies actually close around Nov. 15 due to cold weather & patch is a special mix that towns & contractors have to go pick up the day that they are going to use it & the WDPW guys said that it can take half the day just to pick it up due to wait time at the plant.

If we can help bring to light a procedural or transparency issue then we're happy to do that too but we're not attacking anyone, just the process especially the lack of accurate communication.

Thank you for your comments.

Anonymous do you have a name? If so why not use it? Do you work for the Town?

The issue is that things are not being taken care of. If the Supers aren't there the crews cannot be dispatched per Cindy. The Supers never take phone calls from residents and never return phone calls. If you're speaking with a Super you have access not available to most residents.

As for the patch issue, Waltham is actively patching potholes. Where are they getting their materials?
That being said the hole on Standish Road, like the holes on Main Street are open to the sewer. Their repair will require rebuilding the catch basin, not shoveling in patch, something the Supers would know if they took the time to visit the job site.

The process is broken and that should be obvious to anyone dealing with the WDPW. Whenever the department is criticized it becomes personal and an "attack". The Supers have an excuse for everything and a reason for nothing. It's time for new management as recommended in the study ordered by the Town Council.

The problem is fixed - the storm drain was redone and then patched. Plows have been by several times and everything is fine. Thank you.