Cities spend thousands on mailbox, road repairs

Severe winter weather meant more property damage.

This past winter wreaked havoc on city overtime and salt budgets, and cost some municipalities thousands of dollars in repairs to private property, according to city officials.

Beavercreek estimates the city spent about $3,000 to repair 61 mailboxes, according to John Woltja, the city public services division superintendent.

The city will also spend about $500 to repair damaged yards.

“When trucks are going through the road, they can’t find where they’re at, so they’re feeling with the plows,” Woltja said. “The trucks will get into the yard and peel up sod.”

Springfield estimated less than 25 mailboxes were damaged due to winter weather, according to Chris Moore, the Springfield Service Department director. Mailboxes getting knocked over by snow is typical during a winter season, he added.

“We don’t have nearly the problem in the city that they have in the county,” Moore said. “In the city almost every mailbox is up on someone’s porch and isn’t going to get hit by snow.”

Fairborn reported four mailboxes were damaged this past winter and have been repaired, said Sean Sink, the Fairborn fleet and equipment superintendent.

Similar to other cities, Huber Heights reported an increase in the number of mailboxes damaged during severe weather clean up this year. About 44 mailboxes in the city were damaged, compared to 24 last winter.

“Double the incidents, of course double the chances for accidents and things to occur,” said Michael Gray, the city public works manager.

In addition to yards and mailboxes, the city is also working to repair potholes that resulted during the winter. Temporary pothole repairs are usually initiated in the winter, however a subsequent permanent fix is required in the summer, Woltja said.

“Potholes are not one of those things you can fix once and then walk away from and never touch it again,” Woltja said. “You have to actually go back later and fix it right.”

Fairborn has spent about $20,000 on pothole repairs, according to Sink. He expects to spend an additional $10,000 to finish pothole repairs. The city has completed half of the pothole repairs needed for 32 areas in the city.

Sink estimates the city spent about $18,000 on pothole repairs during the previous winter season.

The city also experienced numerous potholes as a result of the harsh winter, Gray said. The city had to shut down part of Taylorsville Road, between state Route 201 and Bellefontaine Road, in March because of road damage, Gray said.

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