Dear editor:
In response to the letters from local residents Jensen, Alexander, Cowan and others about the deplorable conditions of our inner city streets, I could not agree more. They are pathetic. Besides the ridiculous half a million dollars to pave 4 miles (I, too, would like to know where those streets are), Jensen hit the nail on the head about the cutouts, fill ins, washboards, etc.; that damage peoples vehicles.
Ironically, one of the worst sections is on Grand Avenue right next to the Chamber of Commerce, who apparently felt it more important to "Pave it Forward" and build a multimillion dollar new highway to Hot Springs Village before fixing our own streets. The priorities of our city government and board of directors are so far out of touch and askew with the actual local needs, it's pathetic. Not a lot we can do except vote against each and every one of them when they are up for re-election.
One thing Jensen touched on that I feel needs further explanation, however, is the actual culprits behind the decay of these streets. Obviously a look needs to be taken at the street maintenance department, the materials they are using and the quality of work in both aspects. In my own personal opinion, and from what I've seen, one of the common denominators in the state of these streets is S&S Plumbing.
I won't claim to know what they do, what their contracts are with the city, nor what their responsibilities are involving clean up or restoration after their work, but they do a tremendous amount of work on the inner city streets, and I can tell you a street is never the same nor put back in its prior condition after they leave. Huge holes, depressions, uneven surfaces, the washboards Jensen referenced, all these and more are there after S&S leaves. I know on my own grandmother's street, there was an approximately 3-by-6 patch, at least 12 inches deep, that we had to go buy materials for and fill in ourselves after numerous calls to the street department had gone unserviced. S&S had left it there.
I would love for this newspaper to Freedom of Information all the contracts they have with the Hot Springs street department. It's obvious, given the amount of work involved, we are talking big dollars here. It may well be important work, but the clean up and repair is beyond shoddy and incompetent on the part of someone.
Thanks to each of the previously mentioned letter writers for shining light on this subject. I don't recall which, but one hit it on the head: Unless you live in one of the ritzy neighborhoods like Eastgate, Red Oak Ridge, Hidden Forest or the like, don't expect much help from our local government or the board of directors. They could care less about the needs of the average Spa resident.
Anthony Lloyd
Hot Springs
Editorial on 04/19/2017