"The City was putting in a new sanitary sewer line connecting several homes to the main trunk line. It was quite a project during which Public Works brought in a large back-hoe to dig an eight foot deep hole in my backyard and took down the fence between the two properties. The Public Works crew gave me a phone number to call with any problems before they started work; and they were finished installing the new line in two days. They explained that another crew would come by to fill in the trench, repair my backyard and re-build the fence.

A couple of days went by and nothing happened, so I called the number I was given. They weren't much interested in talking to me, and said the repair work was on the schedule.

Another few days went by and I called again, this time asking for a supervisor. He explained to me that his crew could not complete the job because all the back-hoes were in use; and would get to me as soon as possible. When I asked why they couldn't just use the back-hoe in my backyard, the guy laughed and said there was no back-hoe. That all of the city's equipment was accounted for.

That was when I called Pam's office. Her staff immediately went to work; and that afternoon I received a call back from the supervisor who was very put out that I would call a member of City Council. He told me again that there was not a City owned back-hoe in my backyard. I asked that he come out to look and he said "No."

I called Pam's office again, and within a few minutes I got an angry call from the Supervisor who said he was coming out to my house only because Ms. Holm demanded that he do so.

He showed up at my front door with an assistant; and very irritated. He showed me the documentation that the back-hoe used on the job at my house was in an equipment barn; he showed me where the job had been completed, trench filled in, fence re-built and my backyard repaired.

Then I took him around to my backyard; and his jaw dropped. There was the back-hoe, a huge trench, my yard all torn up and the fence sitting in pieces right where his crew had stacked it two weeks prior when they started the job. He apologized and got on the phone.

But I am convinced that he would have never has left his cozy office and come out into the field unless Pam had insisted that he do so. I am convinced that unless Pam and her staff had gotten involved that back-hoe would still be sitting in my backyard.

Without her intervention, the Public Works Department would still think that a $100,000 plus piece of City equipment was all present and accounted for. Makes you wonder what else Publics Works has lost over the years and how much it has cost tax payers.

But in this case Pam and her staff were absolutely marvelous. They got my yard repaired as it was supposed to be; and uncovered some real goofiness in the Public Works Department.

Thank you very much, Pam for all your help and your service."

  

- Obie O'Brien