Thursday, February 17, 2011

painted streetlight poles are nice, but wiring at the base is still exposed

From a 1st Street NW resident:

It is great they are painting neighborhood streetlights but in front of my house they painted a rusting lamp stand that has had the wiring open to the elements for a decade. So, the risk of someone -- likely a kid playing on the sidewalk -- remains exactly the same, although the child will now be shocked by a newly gray streetlight.

4 comments:

Scott Roberts of Bloomingdale said...

See this response from ANC 5C04 Commissioner John Salatti:

``I appreciate the concern of the 1st Street resident about the missing cover plate that leaves the lamp post open and wiring exposed. I have gotten several of those repaired. I suggest that he or she start with calling 311 and requesting that the cover plate be replaced (or use the Service Request Web site at dc.gov). He or she should note the confirmation number of this request, and if nothing happens within a couple of weeks to pass that confirmation number and request on to her or his respective commissioner for further follow-up. If 1st Street resident takes these steps, I guarantee that the plate will be back in place in a short period, and another decade will not go by with this danger (and inappropriate trash receptacle) remaining on a public sidewalk. That`s how we work together to get things done. Residents who see problems like this one are a vital part of the effort to communicate specific concerns to the city, the commissioners, and the Civic Association. I assure you with that collaboration we can make a lot of things happen. Have a great day – John.``

Anonymous said...

As you suggested, and not for the first time, I made a service request on Feb. 19. It was "closed" on Feb. 20 but the city with no work done. The light remains unrepaired. Today, I tried to reach someone at the transportation department to speak to about the request, but was passed around in a circle, ultimately leaving voicemail.
That, John, is how things are done in this community.

John said...

Ricky,

Thank you for taking the time to take the step of making the request. Now, let's take it to the next level.

Please forward to me the confirmation number of the request you made, the closest house address to the light pole, and any details that you have from either the initial request or the city's response. I will get it done. And that, Ricky, I assure you is how things are done in this community now. :-)

John


--
John T. Salatti
Commissioner, ANC 5C04
Vice President, Bloomingdale Civic Association
(202) 986-2592
John.Salatti@gmail.com

"Together, Building a Better Bloomingdale"

Anonymous said...

I called the office in charge of street lights, left a message and got no response, to see why the repair wasn't made. So, I filed a second service request. This one was marked "complete" the same day it was submitted, and the lamp post remains open and rusting, with the base filled with trash and, for some reason, bricks. I sent James Fournier a request for his help.
Honestly, you think that this is an efficient system? Stop being a politician for a second, and realize that I am just trying to get the city to fix a hazard. It shouldn't be this hard.