City council decides not to fix mayor's sink hole, again

By By Fredie Carmichael / staff writer
May 7, 2003
Mayor John Robert Smith will not get any city help to repair a sink hole in his back yard. The Meridian City Council made its final decision not to fix the problem on Tuesday.
Ward 1 Councilman George Thomas made the motion to make the repairs to the collapsed drainage structure, but the motion died when no other councilman seconded the motion.
The question had been tabled since December.
Some councilmen said they decided not to fix the sink hole because there is nothing in officials records to prove that the city built the drainage structure.
Tuesday's decision comes more than five months after councilmen first learned about the sink hole. The hole was created when an underground culvert built before 1950 collapsed behind Smith's 916 26th Ave. home.
Smith left Tuesday's meeting while councilmen discussed the issue. After the meeting, Smith said he did not want to comment on the council's vote.
Smith said in December that he thought it was inappropriate for him to discuss the situation. The mayor said then he wanted the city council "to treat me like any other citizen."
Some councilmen said that's what they did.
While councilmen voted not to fix the mayor's sink hole, they did vote to fix a similar drainage structure at 1215 25th Ave.
Thomas said the council's willingness to make this repair influenced his opinion about the mayor's request.