Emergency Road Funding Met With Questions

The Department of Public Works says it needs about $24 million to make unexpected repairs to city streets after the harsh winter.

But, the department’s request is meeting opposition from members of the City County Council’s Public Works Committee.

DPW Director Lori Miser says $8 million is needed now to fix Indianapolis’ worst roads.

"This is an emergency situation. You know, we have streets that are damaged beyond what we ever would have expected," said Miser.  "So, it's important to take care of that."

The Department’s annual spending plan is set and Miser wants to tap into the city’s RebuildIndy Fund for to pay for the emergency needs.

The fund is designated for infrastructure improvements.

"You'll see roads that have long, linear gashes or holes and then a series of potholes or a lot of cracking on the edges," said Miser.  "Some of these streets there is no other way to describe it than to say they have turned to gravel."

The department has money available in its own budget, but Miser says it’s intended for other future projects.

Democratic City Councilor Zach Adamson thinks DPW should reassess its spending plan to address the emergency repairs now and do the previous planned projects later.

"I drive on the streets, so I am fully aware that these streets are in bad shape.  But, I think the best thing would be to spend down the balances on these emergency situations and then ask for more for whatever they were originally for," he said.  "So, that we have more transparency."

The Public Works Committee tabled DPW’s request last week, requesting that the department find ways to rework its budget for the emergency road repairs.

"We are not saying we are not going to allocate dollars to take care of what needs to be done, we just want to make sure that as things come in, we are paying for them like that," said Adamson.   "So, if they spend down their fund balances, just let us know what they need money for an we'll allocate those dollars."