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1. What happens when someone reports a pothole to the City?

Tim: We try to fill a resident’s report of potholes quickly. We appreciate their time and trouble to report hazard and we want to be responsive. Occasionally there are larger potholes elsewhere that may receive priority but we try to get to them as soon as possible.

2. What is the procedure for filling potholes throughout the City?

Tim: When we are filling potholes in the spring we will always try to get to the areas in worst condition first. Later, once freeze/thaw conditions subside and pothole formation slows, we transition to street patching. It is this time of year we try to be more efficient and systematically move through the city. Some areas in the city, however, are in a condition that require us to backtrack and give them attention multiple times over the summer.

3. What are the most common questions or concerns you receive?

Tim: A very common question I receive is about delaminating seal coat. This refers to the chip rock coating (approximately ½ inch thick) that we frequently see peeling off road surfaces. This issue is widespread and important to fix each season but presents a different hazard to motorists than the potholes, etc. I generally think of our asphalt maintenance operations as two phased each season. First priority is to fill the actual holes in the asphalt (potholes, large cracks and other degraded areas are a greater hazard) and the second phase is to fill in areas of missing seal coat. It is often necessary, however, to sweep sand and debris from delaminating areas more frequently than other areas until they can be repaired.

4. Streets vs engineering, what type of questions, or concern, should be directed to which department?

Tim: A very common question is "when will my road be redone"? Residents residing on older streets frequently ask this question. Others may see other streets that appear to be in better condition undergoing maintenance practices (such as a seal coat or mill and overlay) and it often motivates residents to inquire. Our engineering department administers the pavement management plan and can better answer questions pertaining to road reconstruction, mill and overlay, and seal coat project timelines. The information can also be found under Pavement Management.