ROBINSON, Texas (KXXV) — “Potholes are a big issue, so this allow us to be much more responsive — we should be able to get a quicker turnaround and getting repairs,” said Robinson city manager Craig Lemin.
“I have hit many of them, I’ve tried to avoid them, some of them are so widespread you can’t avoid them,” said Robinson resident Lynda Campbell.
The City of Robinson recently placed the order for a durapatcher — a machine used to make permanent pothole repairs.
Currently, it takes three workers to fill a pothole.
But the city manager tells me this new equipment will make their team much more efficient.
“What's been taking us three people to do will be able to do with one,” Lemin said.
He told 25 News they currently have five workers, and two openings, in the street department.
“Our biggest challenge is, is trying to get the work done with the staffing and the and the funding we have,” Lemin said.
“It's hard to find people who want to come out and work in the heat of the summer doing, you know, hot, dirty work on streets and things like that,”
25 News spoke with neighbors that said they want to see change.
“I’ll just be glad when they get them fixed, and I’m glad that they have the finances to do that,” Campbell said.
The purchase is being made through a five-year leasing process, costing the city nearly $567,000 total.
“When they're coming in fast and furious, and we're tied up on something else, we get behind, and then it's just trying to work through the list as they come in,” Lemin said.
“It gives us a lot more flexibility, and should be a lot more responsive,”
Lemin tells 25 News the new machine should last between 10 to 12 years with maintenance.
“We do hear people's concerns are trying to address it and that's why council decided that the durapatcher made sense because it allowed us to do more with fewer people,” Lemin said.
