PLEASE NOTE: Scroll down to see my video of the gushing water on Dunlap at Deerfield on Lansing’s southwest side.
How many of you believe that if you contact Lansing City Hall about a problem that you won’t get a quick response?
That’s why I was kind of leery about getting a rapid response when I saw water gushing from a valve cover for city water on Dunlap Street at Deerfield Avenue on the city’s southwest side. It was two houses down from our home and all I could think was that we had a water main break in the making.
My neighbor said he had called about it and the city response was a orange cone over the gushing water that was running west down Dunlap Street into the drain.
That’s when I got out my tiny handheld digital video camera and with the camera on narrated what was in the picture showing the location, lifting the cone and showing the problem.
Then my almost reflexive action was to go to my two blogs, one covering my Averill Woods neighborhood and my personal blog where I put just about anything on my mind. And I attached the video.
The third step was to e-mail two of our City Council-members A’Lynne Robinson and Carol Wood. I described the problem and within minutes they responded that they had contacted the Lansing Board of Water and Light.
Within two hours, Mark Nixon from the Board of Water and Light commented on my personal blog and he described what was happening in our neighborhood. He provided good detail allowing myself and my neighbors to understand the specifics.
So what, you ask?
Watch Monday night Lansing City Council meetings and during public comment, you will see people rant and rave, threaten and cajole about city response to their problems. I just asked and I got real service. It worked.
However, I realize that it may not always be that way. I will probably have to wait my turn for a response. As long as, city hall communicates that then I’m fine.
What is your experience with Lansing City Hall? As positive as mine? Worse? Better?
Here’s the video:
