A San Antonio resident's backyard plight turned to relief when the city trucks rolled in with a solution made of, quite literally, dirt. Battling a trench that morphed into a miniature swamp whenever the skies opened up, Robert Mendez had grown weary of the waterlogged ditch that attracted an unwanted assembly of gnats, mosquitoes, and rodents—a regular disquiet for his family and a playing field hazard for his grandkids.
Mendez's recourse, after his own calls to the City went unanswered, was to reach out to KENS 5, in hopes that the added public attention would nudge municipal officials into action. According to an interview as reported by KENS 5, determining responsibility for the easement behind Mendez's property proved to be a bureaucratic labyrinth—one that seemed to initially lead nowhere. Public works crews and engineers traipsed to the site, each visit leaving behind a trail of confusion over whether the ditch fell under utility, drainage, or private easement jurisdiction.
Eventually, the City classified the problematic area as a "non-service alley" easement, delegating the duty of its upkeep back into the hands of Mendez. The retiree's frustration was palpable as he pondered the logistics of leveling the trench on his own dime. "Everywhere I go I see dump trucks with dirt that they are pulling out of the ground because they are redoing the streets and sidewalks. I'm like, 'Why can't I have some of that dirt?'" Mendez remarked to KENS 5.
Not one to accept a closed door as the final answer, Mendez kept hammering on bureaucratic walls by making another appeal to San Antonio District 1 Councilwoman Sukh Kaur. His persistence paid off when Kaur's office, having vowed to tirelessly advocate on behalf of residents, stepped into the fray and helped secure a resolution. Within weeks, the city dispatched trucks heaped with dirt to Mendez's home, to mitigate the persistent ponding issue. "Sure enough, they had already started. I'm happy. I'm confident the water isn't going to build up there," Mendez told KENS 5.
Expressing her office's dedication, Councilwoman Kaur stated, "Despite his efforts to find the correct organization to fix this issue, no one would claim responsibility. Our office stepped in to identify and alert the responsible party and were happy to see this issue resolved." Moreover, the Public Works Department confirmed they are exploring further options for addressing such concerns, as part of their Non-Service Alley Program, dedicated to future maintenance.
