Editor:
The neighborhood that I live in has ongoing issues with 911 maps and jurisdictional boundaries. When we call 911 for help, we are frequently told by the agency responding that it is not their jurisdiction. According to a document produced by Michael Hawks, County Manager, this area was annexed by the City in 1966. The County Geographic Information Systems specialist and 911 mapper said they are waiting on the City before they will correct the map. I have written a letter and sent several emails to Mayor Bhasker and Polo Pineda and have had no response.
The City recently paid the County to do some extensive roadwork in this neighborhood, which is confusing if the City is not willing to correct the map. At the same time the roadwork was done, the utility easements were cleared on every street except the utility easement behind Kimball Place. The document showing that this area was annexed came to light because I was asking the County to take care of that utility easement and was told it belonged to the City. I do not know whose responsibility this is, the City’s or the Coop’s, but the City paid the County to clear the others.
I called the SEC some time ago to report that the transformer behind my house was making noises and that the pole was in bad shape. The transformer then caught fire, twice, and the SEC couldn’t find the utility easement because they had never been out to check on the pole AND because the easement is not maintained, by anyone. There was a brush fire back there several years ago and after my call was passed around to every agency there is, no one could get back there and the fire eventually went out. Very recently, the Sheriffs department were trying to locate a person that was back there firing a gun, but they couldn’t use that easement because the apartments on the north end have fenced it off and there is a tree growing at the south end. The deputies could get nowhere near the area that the shooter was.
Please, we need the 911 map to be correct and we need the utility easements cleared and we need the SEC to take care of this power pole that is shedding chunks of wood clear into my front yard.
Cheri Lerew
Socorro
