Drivers coming through downtown Indianola have been spared a few bumps in the road.
During Monday night's Indianola Board of Aldermen meeting, a proposal made by Alderman Gary Fratesi to install several speed bumps at the stop signs at downtown intersections was halted.
Citing a need to reduce speeding and the intentional ignoring of stop signs and red lights in the business district, Fratesi said, “I'd like to put speed bumps at every stop sign downtown."
The proposal failed for lack of a second. Fratesi said that the city has had so much trouble with people running the stop signs that he would like to put small speed bumps down because motorists are supposed to stop anyway.
"So, all we're doing is, catching the people who run the stop signs," he said.
Fratesi was proposing that the speed bumps only be installed at the existing stop signs where drivers should stop anyway.
Initially he was for putting one next to the post office in the southbound lane, and the eastbound and westbound lanes of East and West Percy streets in front of the post office.
Mayor Steve Rosenthal said the biggest complaint he heard is with regard to speeding that occurs between the stop signs on Front Avenue.
In his motion, he said, "I'll make a motion, we start with coming south at the post office and we can do one more by the city hall, one at the end of Main Street and one at the end of Second," Fratesi said.
Alderman Ruben Woods said he's never seen a speed hump at a stop sign and Rosenthal concurred, but he added that it is a concept that might work. More discussion ensued, wherein Woods offered an alternative.
“I would suggest we post a police officer there part-time, temporarily."
Woods asserted that writing tickets would send a message.
Fratesi said that has happened a hundred times before, but it has never been effective.
Then, with regard to the speed bumps, Woods asserted, "We're going to have them all over town."
He acknowledged to Fratesi that he understood his concern, but emphasized that it is a matter of enforcing the law.
Alderman Sam Brock also questioned Fratesi’s idea of installing speed bumps at stop signs.
Fratesi said, "Since I've been an alderman, over 20 years, it's always been complaints about running the stop sign at the post office and we’ll say, ‘send the police.’”
Fratesi said the police would come for a while, then they don't and he stressed that the department is now short-handed. He re-emphasized that the drivers are supposed to come to a full stop, but typically do not.
"So at least if we had a speed hump there, they will come to a more complete stop then just rolling through it," Fratesi said.
In other business,
Following a discussion on the many water leaks in various parts of the city, a discussion arose about the big sinkhole located on Fasonia Avenue, just northwest of the post office.
City Engineer Ron Cassada said, "It happened just after that paving and it's a water leak." So, the mystery now according to Cassada, is where the water is going and what has caused the leak.
“So that water is going somewhere and pulling in the dirt under the road into some pipe."
Cassada said that they have already explored several scenarios, but have yet to find a solution.
“The line that's there is in good shape, it's old a little bit, but I'm at a loss, I don't know where that dirt is going.”
Cassada said that he doesn't recommend repaving the street until he can find out what's causing it to wash away. "I'd hate to repave the road, we get another water leak and it collapses again," he said.
Cassada mentioned some technology that may be able to assist but said that it is costly.
Alderman Marvin Elder then queried him about the sinkholes on the west side of the street and Cassada said that those were storm drain issues.
"It's not very deep, we've discussed it before. That's actually something I think the city could repair," Cassada said.
They discussed several options for the repair of the storm drains and again possible solutions for resolving the issue with the street. “I still think we need to dig in that area where most of the dirt went,” Cassada said.
Rosenthal responded, “Get your guys to draw a circle and we'll start digging.” Cassada then added, "We can't mess up anything more that's messed up."
Cassada also indicated that the sinkhole problem is preventing the completion of other paving work along that same stretch of road. They decided to have the city dig as far as they could with the equipment that they have to see if they could find what is causing the leak.
“No motions needed at this point, but if we can get those things in the works." Rosenthal said.
