Dear editor,

In reference to Tuesday’s opinion piece, Wet roads are a problem;  the City of Selma Street Department is under the leadership of Tommy Smith, no relation, and it is his designated responsibility to oversee the upkeep and maintenance of Selma’s roadways. I have contacted his office, Mr. Smith, Selma City Council representatives and the Alabama Highway Department many times to give specific areas in need of improvement. These areas continue to be problems. There is no excuse for the water in over 90 percent of the areas that we experience problems. The problem that is not being addressed is the trash, soil, weeds, and asphalt that fill the gutters along Selma streets! Most of these issues can be addressed with one simple tool, a flat shovel.

Yes, you read correctly, a flat shovel. If our street department director would send several men equipped with flat shovels to the stormwater drain openings and shovel the trash, soil and weeds from the street gutters, then the rainwater would flow properly. Each concrete joint along the gutters needs to have the same completed, as well. When the engineers originally laid out the stormwater drains and gutters along the streets, they were at a slope that allows water to move from the roadway into the stormwater drains. Secondly, if the trees that hang over our streets were maintained in a manner to keep limbs from overhanging the streets, it would allow sunlight to reach the ground, drying the soil sooner, thus keeping erosion of soil out of the stormwater drains and not scratching vehicles, as they pass.  Most sidewalks in Selma are impassable due to tree and weed encroachment, as well. I realize Selma does not have an unlimited budget for street maintenance, but what harm is done with a little shoveling?

In reference to the asphalt comment made earlier in my post, it is shameful that our street department would allow mine and your tax dollars to be spent in a way that actually harm our drainage instead of improving the drainage.  I have witnessed, during street re-surfacing, asphalt being lain over concrete gutters meant to channel water off the street and into the stormwater drain. It is unfathomable that anyone be allowed to make matters worse, because the leadership fails to hold accountable those responsible!

Selma’s infrastructure issues are similar to other issues experienced in Selma. No one wants to meet a problem head on, the leadership just chooses to make excuses as to why it can’t be done! A simple flat shovel can correct much of the roadway flooding.  How many other issues have simple, logical answers, too?

 

Brad Smith

Selma