(Tyler Pruett | Southern Torch)

*The following is a letter to the editor submitted by Rainsville Citizen Sonjia Pittman, regarding the previous council meeting and Maple Avenue*

RAINSVILLE, Ala. — Situation: Residents of Maple Avenue in Rainsville have been trying to get their road paved since it’s initial existence. In 2008 each resident paid $900.00 to bring the road up to specs. Administrations changed, specs changed and we were no longer up to current specs. Basically, we fell through the cracks while patiently waiting for our road to be paved.

On Maple Avenue, since the gravel and dirt road was first build, and up to the present time, we have house numbers, city water, telephone poles, a city water hydrant, mail pick-up and delivery, and garbage pick up. Being located in the center of Rainsville we are treated as any other street except for one thing. Our road is not paved.

Several reasons have been given to us, one of particular concern to our Mayor and City Council is that we only have, according to engineer, Sam Phillips, an area of 60 feet for a cul de sac, which has now had specs changed that say the cul de sac now has to be 100 feet. This is actually a non-issue as residents living where the cul de sac would be used for the cul de sac completion. The excuse the Mayor gives is not valid.

As for Council members mentioning that I have been before them multiple times over the years about this problem, if they would check the records they would find that this is only the second time, ever, since we moved here in 2008 that I have spoken to them about our road being paved. The people that we purchased our home from had recently paid their share to have the road brought up to specs, and assured us that our road was going to be paved. If we had not had that assurance we would not have purchased our home.

Concerning trash pick up, for twelve years, garbage trucks have backed up into Ms. Randolph’s driveway at the end of the street, to turn around. Now, when she mentions this to the Mayor and Council, they “punish” all residents, first by telling us all that the garbage will no longer be picked up at the end of our driveways, but across the street from our driveways and secondly, at the most recent City Council meeting, by Councilman Ricky Byrum stating that we should now drag our garbage cans up to the paved Maple Avenue. Our street is 1600 feet long. For the residents at the end of our road, it is much longer as they sit a lot further from the road than the rest of the residents. I don’t believe it is anywhere near an unreasonable request. I don’t know anyone who would enjoy dragging their trash cans 1600 feet or more and then dragging them back. Next, is the problem of where we would all put our trash cans when we got them to the paved portion of Maple Avenue. Should we line them up across someone’s front yard or just leave them at the end of our street, effectively blocking access to our street for at least a day? These are questions that apparently have yet to enter Mr. Byrum’s mind.

If they were really concerned with safety, they would take into account that my neighbor, Ms. Regina Randolph watched her house burn down on June 3, 2015. As our road is not officially a city street, the fire department response was slow as the location did not show up in the GPS System. But while the city does not recognize, “Maple Avenue.” They sure don’t mind sending us utilities bills with “Maple Avenue” as the address.

One thing that occupies my mind, a lot, is the statement from our Mayor that, “Hell would split wide open” before our street got paved. Why in the world would he ever say such a thing? I believe that there are a lot of unknown motives behind our street not being paved. Most of us just don’t know what they are.

I believe that all residents on our street have done due diligence to get our street up to specs including paying for having it done. We have been treated very unfairly by the City of Rainsville.