Calling 311 in hopes that the City of Houston will send someone to repair that pothole on your street? You might have to wait a while – it turns out that COH is about 3,000 jobs behind schedule.
Yes, the fourth largest city in the US has quite a back log of repairs to work through. With all the recent rains and flooding, it might take even longer for basic repairs to make their way to the top of the list as more critical projects take priority.
Fiscal issues are a large reason that road improvements have decreased in the City of Houston. There is less m
oney to make the actual improvements and hire adequate staff. Mayor Annise Parker has also tried to pay down the City’s large debt during her administration, which has strained the City’s ability to make infrastructure improvements.
I spoke with D’Andre, a member of the City of Houston Public Works Department Excavation Crew about working for the City of Houston. D’Andre, a veteran of the US Army, is quite happy with his job, but can’t help but notice the potential for improvement.
Name: D’Andre
Job Title: Equipment Worker, City of Houston
How long have you been with the City of Houston? January 2015
Do you like your job? I love it.
What are your duties on a daily basis? We are with the excavating crew and our particular job is cement excavation. We go to an area that has been marked by surveyors. We pull up (the cement), level the ground, take the rebar out and set it. Once it is set, we layer it with limestone and roll it to pack the limestone down. Once it has been set up completely, a different crew comes in to frame it. Cement trucks will come in and pour in cement and make sure it is level. Once it is poured and leveled, it is finished and layered with magnesium, then brushed so the street won’t be slick. Then it cures for 48 hours. Any damage has been done to people’s yards or sidewalks are backfilled. Then the finishing crew comes in and puts the curb back in.
How long does it take to finish a 
project? That all depends – because of the man-power issues the City has it might take a while, because we have to keep leaving one project to work on others that are bigger. There also might be equipment issues.
Is City of Houston understaffed? Yes.
Is that a budget issue? It takes a long time to hire people. It might take a full year to hire someone from the time they turn in their application to the time they are actually able to work and then they still have to do on the job training to learn the processes.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced since starting work for COH? The biggest challenge is learning all the policies and procedures.
What do you want people to know about what you do? You can’t call in a complaint to 311 and expect it to be done the next day. It is going to take time, because the City is about 3,000 jobs behind. As the City hires more people the work will get done faster. It is our job to catch up, which is why we work 10 hours shifts, 6 days per week.
What is the worst thing about what you do? I see a lot of people get disenfranchised because they feel they are not being adequately compensated. If more care and attention was paid to (my fellow employees) the City would be able to keep more people. As 
a former member of the military it is easier on me, but for many – this is all they have to count on. It feels almost like a cast system and you get locked into your position.
What is the best thing about what you do? For me personally, it is that I am getting to do something that I love to do. I am a Civil Engineering major, so it is great that I actually get to do what I am learning about in my books.
greentexasmom 