The highly destructive storm known as Hurricane Irene wreaked a lot of havoc, but one of the more noticeable effects was a huge tree falling across one of the city's busiest paths for drivers and walkers. The trunk of the tree was cleared from the street, but the stump and roots that lifted the sidewalk remained for a long time, causing schoolschildren and everyday pedestrians to walk out in the street to pass.
Over at City Hall, the post of director of Public Works & Urban Development had been vacant for several months. The last permanent director, David Brown III, had resignd in November 2010. From January through March 2011, Jacques Howard of the Office of Community Development served as acting director, but after his 90-day stint elapsed, no one held the title.
In late August, Hurricane Irene struck and went down in meteorological history as the fifth most costly hurricane on record in the United States, destroying homes and causing 47 deaths. A broken sidewalk on one street in Plainfield was maybe the least of the damage, but as weeks and months wore on, it became a symbol of the trouble it took to get things fixed in the city.
On Sept. 26, Eric Jackson became the third permanent PW&UD director in the tenure of Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs. Jennifer Wenson-Maier had served the entire four years of the mayor's first term but was not reappointed for the second term. Brown came and went in 2010. Still, the department seemed almost stable compared to the turnover in the revolving-door offices of the city administrator and the finance director. Public Works tasks mostly got done even without a director.
Jackson immediately took steps to clean up City Hall, which had become cluttered and uninviting. He introduced needed training for division heads and just generally came across as a take-charge guy.
But the sidewalk situation eluded a quick resolution.
Questions of responsibility caused the repair process to be delayed even while Jackson made improvements in many other aspects of the department. In March 2012, Plaintalker brought it up again. Readers and Councilwoman Rebecca Williams offered comments.
At long last, the sidewalk is fixed. It looks great and one would never know it was such a thorny problem. Schoolchildren, seniors and residents in general can safely pass along this stretch of Park Avenue once again.
Thanks to Director Jackson and all those who kept on the case to get this very visible and embarassing problem resolved.
--Bernice
It is nice to see it fixed.
ReplyDeleteWhat's sad though, this sidewalk is indicative of what's wrong in Plainfield. Almost a year to fix a sidewalk....
( you may now begin your whining apologist )
The reason it took a year is because we do not have an administration that can keep people in their position.
ReplyDeleteI am impressed with Eric Jackson. He got it done in less than a year. Jaques Howard, nice guy, but he works for the city (and has for 20 years) and could not get it done. Eric gets it done in a year. I say that is a good ratio for Eric.
We should thank Cory Storch and Rebecca Williams for pushing the sidewalk issue. I know I bugged them about it, since it's almost outside my front door.
ReplyDeleteBob Bolmer