Backstory
In an article dated September 11, 2019, Frank Leeming explained the process of how Hot Springs Village used to tackle some of the Village road repairs in the not-so-distant past.
Leeming explained that the Public Works Committee used to be “made up mainly of long-time employees in the road business who retired to the Village and volunteered their time to help their neighbors.”
“First, each year they would go out in teams of two and physically inspect our roads and rate their condition. Roads receiving a score of 85 or lower were judged to need resurfacing.”
“Second, they would badger the POA board and staff to spend at least $1 million to repave 30 miles of road each year. They argued Village roads have a life of 15 to 20 years, so repaving 30 miles a year would keep our road system in top condition.”
“One more thing the committee did: It hammered away on the need for a crack-sealing program, including the purchase of a $50,000 crack-sealing machine.”
“These veteran road guys told anyone who would listen how sealing road cracks will prolong the life of a road four to six years because it prevents water from seeping down and eroding the road base, particularly in the winter.”
“When I was on the POA board in 2015, we gave in and approved the purchase of a crack sealing machine. The public-works department told us they would be able to use it 10 months a year.”
In this same article, Leeming also stated, ” The 2016 work was the last approved by the board in Hot Springs Village.“
Leeming proposes we find out what happened to the crack sealing machine
In a subsequent article dated October 1, 2019, Leeming again broached the subject. Leeming proposed, ” Begin a year-around crack-sealing program on Village roads; find out what happened to the $50,000 crack-sealing machine the board approved purchasing in 2015.”
Photograph courtesy of Hot Springs Village Voice
Bob McClesky also expressed concern over lack of road crack sealing
According to Bob McClesky in a letter to the editor of Hot Springs Village Voice, ” With the amorphous backlog of infrastructure needs, road crack sealing, a relatively inexpensive maintenance process is being either overlooked or intentionally ignored by the POA department responsible for such maintenance.” (HSV Voice Volume 30, Tuesday, October 8, 2019)
Why isn’t the road crack sealing machine being used?
It appears the crack sealing equipment has been “missing in action” since 2017. Why would we not use the equipment we have to make repairs to our roads? After all, it is bought and paid for and certainly was purchased for good reason, so we may make some of the road repairs with our own personnel and equipment. This makes good business sense.
Patrick McCullough solved the mystery of the “missing-in-action” crack sealing machine
Frank Leeming’s information about the crack sealing machine led Patrick McCullough to ask the question, “where is this machine?” Being naturally curious as to what happened to this piece of equipment, McCullough sent out a friend to research this issue.
According to McCullough, “Good news about our crack sealing machine!”
“Due to the efforts of a concerned Villager, it has been located and although it has not been used since 2017 it is in excellent condition and is ready to go to work. Plans are being developed to put it back into service later this fall to deal with some of our areas that need to be repaired ASAP.”
Villagers work together to solve issues
This is an excellent example of Villagers working together to take the initiative to expose issues and problems, investigate and solve these problems and inform their fellow Villagers.
Much appreciation to Ex-POA Board Director, Frank Leeming, for exposing this very important issue.
Also, very special kudos to Villager, Patrick McCullough and his investigator friend, for their efforts in solving this mystery.
by Cheryl Dowden, October 8, 2019
Minn Daly
10/08/2019 — 11:47 am
Frank & Pat, Thank you for finding HSV equipment! Amazing that membership had to investigate this issue of the missing Crack Sealing Machine that cost 50 Grand to POA. Even more amazing that it has not been used since 2017! If there is other equipment that has not been accounted for this crew will find it! Again it is about infrastructure & this BOD/CEO can only think CMP, Spending money for attorneys, getting HSV in lawsuits, & renovation of Balboa Golf & tear down of Balboa Club house. Let’s hope that this will change when reelection of Dick Garrison & 2 other very smart HSV members we can get infrastructure & other things accomplished without financial disasters & excessive law suits. Respectfully, Minn Daly
Randall Bright, Sr.
10/08/2019 — 12:29 pm
Thank you, thank you, thank you! Since moving here in 2012, I have contacted the POA/Streets Dept. numerous times regarding CRACKS IN ASPHALT. Responses . . . .we do NOT have budget money for this OR the equipment OR the manpower. 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔
The reason I persist is our street (Fineza Way) was overlayed with new asphalt in 2013 or 2014. Within one year, small cracks began to appear. Most of them did not go all the way across the street and were “small.” Now, many are large enough to place a finger in AND run completely across the street.
Although Fineza Way in not a busy through street, like DeSoto, Balearic, Carmona, Cortez, etc., sealing “large” cracks to PREVENT further damage seems appropriate. Now that our crack-sealing equipment has been REDISCOVERED, let’s crank it up, seal cracks AND practice good maintenance of streets/roads within the Village. 👍👌👍👌
Frank Shears
10/08/2019 — 1:43 pm
This is exactly what we need more of here in the Village. People who care enough to “get-er-done”.
Frank and Pat, well done Sirs! Thank you.
Walter Chance
10/08/2019 — 5:02 pm
The filled the cracks on Barcelona this Summer. Thank you for your due diligence. This will save the Villagers money!
Cindy Anderson
10/08/2019 — 6:57 pm
Thank you for your hard work! Very insightful.
Julie
10/09/2019 — 6:14 am
This incident proves that the POA is hopelessly ungovernable.
Gary Puffer
10/15/2019 — 5:07 pm
I have an observation to make. What does our POA Street Maintenance crew really do? When there is a major road work is to be done, it is contracted out. When a dead tree on a common property is threatening a home, it is contracted out to Gaston Tree Service. When a corporation such as Entergy does work on their utility lines no one at the POA monitors that these workers clean-up after themselves. Now that we found the asphalt sealing machine, the sealing work is to be contracted out to a local business at a cost of $165,000 by the CEO. So what do the street maintenance crew do on a daily basis? How many are employed by the POA? Does anybody know or care? I have lived here in the village for ten years and I have yet to see any road maintenance work done where I live, specifically, Valencia Way and all the offshoot streets from Valencia Way.
Bob McCleskey
10/17/2021 — 3:52 pm
Cheryl, is there a way to resurrect the crack sealing issue and bring it front and center? To the best of my knowledge, crack sealing has been done to much of Barcelona Rd both on the North and on the South part of the Village as well as Camino Rd (also on the South part of the Village). I have not observed the crack sealing being done on any of the roads I routinely travel in over a year. In my letter to the editor October 2019, I specifically pointed out that Cortez road was in need of sealing due to grass growing is some of the cracks. Sad to say that is still the case.
HSVP C
10/17/2021 — 4:31 pm
Bob, the POA is putting the crack sealing machine up for auction at the upcoming auction. Here are the auction details:
Surplus Property Auction
Saturday, October 23
10:00 AM
104 Deposito Paseo Ln.
Hot Springs Village
With the help of Cox Auctions, the POA is selling surplus items on Saturday, October 23. Bidders can attend the auction in person or bid online.
Cox Auctions and Realty Hot Springs Village Surplus Equipment Vehicle Auction link
Link to both the Live Auction and Online Auction
The auction will feature clean to pristine vehicles, ready-to-work specialty equipment, office furnishings and much more. Vehicles and larger items may be previewed on Saturday, October 16, from 10AM-2PM at the auction site, 104 Deposito Paseo Lane. Indoor items may be previewed on Saturday, October 16 from 10AM-2PM at the Coronado Community Center, 150 Ponderosa Way.
Announcements made day of sale take precedence over printed material.
Visitors must enter through manned West Gate at 111 DeSoto Blvd. or East Gate at 1570 DeSoto Blvd. and present printed flyer for entry into Hot Springs Village.
The POA is auctioning items:
that have been replaced and that we can obtain a better return by selling ourselves rather than trading in
that are no longer used
that no longer meet our needs
that are no longer in working order.
Here is a link to the auction flyer: https://files.ctctusercontent.com/dbfcbf66301/4d92abf1-3734-40e3-a6e9-9b39b62a84bf.pdf?rdr=true
Thanks.