Milwaukee pothole requests break records as alderman pushes plan for more repairs
CBS 58 MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) — Milwaukee's pothole problem is reaching record levels, and one alderman wants to bring in outside contractors to help city crews handle the growing number of repair requests.
Ald. Peter Burgelis brought the issue before the city's Public Works Committee Thursday, introducing a resolution that would direct the Department of Public Works to identify pothole and alley repairs that could be completed by outside contractors.
"Anyone who drives in Milwaukee recognizes that the roads this year are in really rough shape," Burgelis said.
The city received about 24,000 pothole service requests in the first eight months of the year, surpassing the previous full-year record of 16,804.
Ald. Lamont Westmoreland said residents regularly contact him about repairs that have not been completed.
"It's not a monthly thing. It's not a weekly thing. It's daily," Westmoreland said. "I have constituents reaching out in frustration saying, 'What the hell is going on? I reported this pothole in May eight times,' and that's my frustration."
The proposal drew concerns from Ald. Alex Brower, who said he does not want the city to become more reliant on outside contractors.
"I am concerned this piece of legislation would contribute to even more outsourcing of the work I want to be done by city workers," Brower said.
Kevin Muhs, Milwaukee's city engineer, said contractors could supplement the work already being done by city crews.
"The reason to think about contractors for this work is to supplement our current efforts and our current staff," Muhs said. "It's a short-term thing to grow our ability to do this type of work."
Burgelis' plan could direct more than $1 million in city funds toward additional repairs.
He said there is still time to make progress before the end of the year.
"There's still work that we can get done by the end of the year. It all depends on contractor availability and how quickly they can fill potholes," Burgelis said. "I think it's important that we use every single available resource and put it to work and improve the road conditions in our city."
