LACY LAKEVIEW, Texas (KXXV) — The city of Lacy Lakeview will purchase $725,000 of its own construction equipment to fix some streets, rather than hiring contractors for all the work.
- The money is from the streets and infrastructure bond fund, which local voters passed this past May.
- The city says many streets have been neglected over the years.
- Some residents have concerns about the quality of the work done by the city in the future.
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“Our streets have really been neglected over the years and are really in bad shape," Lacy Lakeview City Manager Calvin Hodde said.
In Lacy Lakeview, it’s no secret that a lot of roads need repairs.
"Due to that, I had to have seven tire changes within one month," Maltisha Brummett said.
"Basically due to either the tire completely just being gone from rubbing, cutting and wearing down so quickly, even though I don't drive that far, or nails."
Maltisha Brummett has lived in Lacy Lakeview for seven years, and she tells 25 News she spent thousands of dollars fixing her car due to damaged tires and axles from the state of the roads in our community.
“With that money, I could have paid my rent three times,” she said.
— and she's not the only one with these concerns.
"I think that’s the number one complaint from our citizens,” Hodde said.
In hopes of improving our streets, Lacy Lakeview's city council approved the purchase of construction equipment, for street repairs and maintenance for around $725,000.
The money is from the streets and infrastructure bond fund, which local voters passed this past may.
This means in the future, Lacy Lakeview will be able to do its own street improvements.
"Some of the streets we are looking at are Stanfield, pecan and Old Dallas highway," Hodde said.
"Those are some of the ones we've started looking at. From there we have a lot of Avenues A, B, C, D — a lot of those are in need of reclamation."
Hodde says the equipment should arrive by March. That's when city workers will begin training.
Maltisha says while this sounds like a good idea, she’s concerned about the quality of the work done by the city instead of contractors.
“It can lower the cost, but it's the quality," she said.
"I know that's what a lot of the concerns are for a lot of people, is the quality of the work.”
Donaldson and North Walnut Street and Virginia Drive will be the first three streets repaired through the bond, but still using contractors for the work.
"Those will be a total reclamation which will include our water and sewer line replacement as well as curb replacement and then come back and replace the streets," Hodde said.
City engineers with walker partners will survey, design and bid for the job — construction on those three streets is not expected to start until later next year.
“I just want the roads better," Maltisha said.
"I want kids to be able to play on the roads — I want to hear less grumble within the community about the roads, and I want them to hear us if we ever have concerns regarding the roads.”
