EDITOR – We have become aware of just how ratepayers’ money is wasted when it comes to contractors that are employed by our municipality.
Three times in the last few months we have called them to repair a leak just outside our driveway. This is how it works: First the area is dug up and the leak is repaired. The soil dug out of hole is left on side of road in a large pile. Another load of soil is delivered to fill in the hole and eventually a truck arrives to remove the pile of soil that should have been used to fill the hole (can take weeks for this to happen).
Eventually (maybe three months later) a contractor arrives to re-tar or re-concrete the area. Before this happens, another leak springs up just half a metre away from first leak and the whole process is repeated. And then another leak springs up just half a metre away from the second one. The whole process is repeated again.
So within a metre of water pipe there are three joints and there are a least four contractors involved for each minor leak which amounts to 12 trips to my house, each contractor charging the municipality (very often for night hours or weekends).
If a contractor arrives to take away soil from my driveway and my direct neighbour also has a pile of sand outside his driveway, the contractor fails to pick it up. If a contractor arrives to re-tar or re-concrete the hole outside my driveway and the neighbour also has a patch that needs re-tarring, the contractor only does the one.
The tools used by some of the contractors leave a lot to be desired. If they come at night they work under the light of the street lamp. They do not even possess proper lighting.
This is a shocking waste of ratepayers’ money, and then I do not think there is anyone to check on the poor workmanship.
Resident
Morningside
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